Penny Wise and Pound Foolish
by pennwise
Summary: "Oh, you're good. I must say, you are good. But here's something to think about, Pennywise. The last woman who tried to psychoanalyze me ended up falling in love with me." JokerxOC. [HIATUS]
1. Prologue

**Hello! I've had this idea for a while and started writing the story about a month ago. I'm not sure where this site stands in regards to JokerxOC stories. I know there are some people who can't see past JokerxHarley and then there are some who can't stand it. I like to think I'm delightfully Switzerland because I enjoy reading about the Joker no matter who he's with. I love him and Harley together but at the same time I like to experiment as well. He's just so fascinating to me and I especially liked the way** _ **Suicide Squad**_ **portrayed him. The only thing I didn't like was how little he was actually in the movie, but I get why he wasn't. I've decided to make this story a little behind the scenes of what he did to get Harley back. It's going to follow the basic plot of the story but will probably deviate quite a bit to suite my story's needs (the timeline of the movie, for example). And to avoid any confusion, I'm only going to base facts around what we know from the movie itself. I won't take anything from the comics (purposefully, anyway).**

 **If it wasn't already obvious, this is a JokerxOC story. It's going to be told from the point of view of my own character but JokerxHarley will still be there, just not in the beginning. As with any relationship with the Joker, things will get a bit toxic as the story progresses. It's not intended to be a full-fledged romance even though it's tagged as such. There is romance involved but not in the traditional sense of the word. If you don't like JokerxOC stories, I ask that you not point that out in the reviews if you wish to leave one. I'm always willing to accept constructive criticism or positive feedback but something like, '** _ **I was going to read this until I saw it was JokerxOC...**_ **' is really not necessary. I'm not trying to be mean because I get that people like what they like, but if it doesn't contribute to the story at all I just ask that you please keep it to yourself. I hope you understand.**

 **To anyone else who reads this, I hope you like it! This is only the beginning :)**

* * *

 **1\. PROLOGUE**

She eyed her surroundings warily, being mindful of the dancing bodies that writhed and swayed on either side of her as she passed by. She excused herself between a few people, squinting through the flashing lights that struck a painful nerve behind her eyes. She hated loud, crowded places. They always gave her a headache and made her feel like she couldn't think. Ironically enough that was probably how most of the people on the dance floor felt at that very moment, though at the expense of large quantities of alcohol rather than mild annoyance.

Even though she didn't enjoy being there and didn't plan on participating in any sort of dancing she still felt immensely under-dressed. Everyone around her was clad in exotic dresses or crisp dress shirts. The club had always been a bit too high end for her and she hated that this couldn't take place someplace more discreet and quiet.

A wall of sparkling beads caught her attention once she made it through the far end of the dance floor. Her nerves caused her stomach to coil and flutter unpleasantly as she made her way towards them. A few guards dressed in black suits lingered nearby and once she was spotted, they straightened their frames warningly and advanced on her. She stopped short a few paces away.

"What's your business here, lady?" one of the men asked.

Her jaw clenched as she spoke the requested words, feeling nothing short of ridiculous: "I'm here to see the Prince."

"Name?" the guard next to the first grunted.

She gave it to him and with a few exchanged murmurs they moved aside to let her through. Her tongue pushed against the inside of her cheek as she pulled the beads aside, hearing the delicate _clings_ and _clangs_ as they fell together behind her. The music was less deafening in this section of the club which was usually reserved for private parties and VIPs. She still felt the vibrating pulses of the base in her gut, though that could have also been her steadily rising heartbeat as she stepped around a few stranded booths. In the back of the room sat an L-shaped booth with a dangling chandelier and a glass table reserved for only one person who was unfortunately her point of interest for the evening.

He sat on one end of the booth, hands resting casually on the head of a cane as he talked with a man fleetingly familiar across the table. He was always dressed so pristine; white dress shirt without a wrinkle in place unbuttoned low to expose a pale yet decorative torso, wrists clad in various bracelets next to a Rolex watch and fingers equally bejeweled with dazzling rings. It was impossible to miss the unmistakable colors of the laughing mouth on his left hand that seemed to smirk every time his tendons flexed. His infamous green hair was slicked back neatly to his scalp and she stared at it for a moment. It was a clear reminder of who she was dealing with and a warning to keep her composure because he most certainly would not. The holster strapped to his torso with two intricate revolvers resting against each side of his ribcage flashed like a promise in the low light.

Swallowing thickly, she let out a slow breath before taking the final handful of steps towards the booth. The man sitting across from her company noticed her first and their conversation ceased. The green head of hair turned to face her, exposing a large mouth of metal and squinting blue eyes surrounded by black.

"Pennywise," he smirked slowly, voice thick and gravely as he enunciated the name just enough to grate on her nerves. "What a pleasant surprise. It's been a while."

She smiled tightly, her lips twitching. "Please don't call me that."

A look of mock surprise flashed across his pale face. "It's your name, isn't it?"

"My name is Penelope Weiss," she sighed. As annoyed as the dreadful nickname made her (because he certainly wasn't the first to call her it—her peers in school were never very clever) she didn't let it show because she knew better than that. "Pronounced wi _c_ e, not wi _s_ e."

"Devil's in the details, Pennywise," he grinned sharply, obviously not listening, before opening his arms with a tilt of his head. She didn't miss the madness that flashed in his eyes as he pouted at her. "Don't I get a hello?"

Penny licked her lips. "Hi, Mister J. Nice to see you."

"Likewise, dollface," he motioned towards the open spot next to the man she recognized but couldn't remember the name of. "Slide in next to my good man Frost and we'll get this show on the road."

Frost. He was Mister J's right hand man. He'd been there last time. She gave the man a quick smile, one that was less forced than the one she'd given Mister J, and took a seat in the booth a respectable distance away from the man even though he scooted over to give her room. Unfortunately this meant she was now sitting directly across from Gotham's very own Clown Prince and she shifted uncomfortably under his alarmingly intense stare. Despite the absurdity of the name, he lived up to it well. He was something of a clown, keen on laughing at the misfortune of others or at the expense of his own twisted imagination. His reputation preceded him; he was also Gotham's public enemy number one but was almost always impossible to find, and yet here he was sitting in plain sight.

Mister J leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table.

"So, Pennywise," he started, tapping his fingers in rhythm with the base on the surface. "You're a _smart_ girl, aren't you?" he asked, pronouncing the word 'smart' in a funny way like he was mocking her. "You know all kinds of interesting stuff about fun things, don'tcha? 'Cause see, I need your _help_ ," he admitted. The word 'help' was spoken the same way. "After all, I did help you once."

"Inadvertently," she countered. She knew he'd use this against her. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time.

"Irrelevant," he shot back. "You owe me. I scratched your back and now you scratch mine. That's the fundamentals of friendship, Pennywise, didn'tcha know?" his eyes squinted as he grinned, wrinkling the J tattooed underneath his left eye.

Penny bit her tongue. It would do more harm than good to argue with him and frankly she wasn't sure she had the nerve to try.

"What do you need help with?"

Mister J's eyes narrowed, his eyes darkening as his jaw locked. "I want my Queen back."

Penny tried to not let the look make her squirm. "She's locked up in _Belle Reve_. You know this," she said as delicately as she could muster. "There's nothing I can do."

"Oh but there is," he lifted a theatrical finger before pointing it at her. "See, I happen to know that those stiffs are planning something. And I wanna get her outta there before she gets caught in the crossfire. What better way to do that than to have eyes and ears on the inside?"

Penny shook her head slowly. It shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did. In retrospect there weren't very many things she could do that he couldn't. She should have expected something like this but hearing it out loud made it so much more real.

"I could lose my job… I could get thrown into prison _with_ her if I helped you," Penny stressed, eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not as high on the totem pole as you may think I am. I work leagues beneath the guys who put her there. I don't know what _you_ think I can do but I'm certain I can't do that."

Mister J placed his hands on the table and slowly pushed himself up until he was standing over the booth.

"You can and you will," he stated, voice trembling dangerously as he loomed over her. His long, wiry frame cast an ominous shadow over the table and across part of her face. Despite his tall, slim build she could see the muscles hidden beneath his tight shirt. She could hear the blood pulsing in her eardrums as she stared up at him and she squeezed her hands together tightly in her lap, nails leaving crescent-shaped indents in the skin as she subtly leaned back to further the distance between them. "You won't get caught. And if someone does catch you, I have people who can mop up the mess. You'll get to keep your waste of a job and I'll get my Queen back. It's a win-win," his blue eyes glinted. "All you need to do is give me names."

Penny gazed up at him for a moment. She'd never been in this situation before. No one had ever come to her asking for help that she didn't think she could legally provide. She had no experience in this. Bargaining. Especially bargaining with the Joker. She may as well try to reason with the Devil.

"So that's your plan, huh?" she asked. There was a hint of contempt in her voice but for the most part she just ended up sounding small and not even the least bit intimidating. "Threaten me into helping you?"

"I tried asking but that didn't work out so well," he drawled.

"You never actually asked," Penny scowled, though it was light. The features on his face had hardened to such a degree that she just wanted to disappear under the table.

Mister J tilted his head, eyes wide. "If I had asked nicely would that have catered more to your delicate sensibility?" when Penny didn't say anything Mister J rolled his head, "See, that's why I cut straight to the chase."

Penny had the slight sense that this wasn't going to work in her favor.

"What's in it for me exactly?" she asked, daring to glance up at him again.

"You get to keep your spleen. I heard that's important," Penny gave him an astounded look, mouth hanging open a bit. Her blood felt like it turned to ice inside her veins. He grinned again before lifting a hand, "So it's either you help me," he lifted the other hand, "or you die. It's a better deal than most people get. Usually it's help me and _then_ you die," he pointed at her. "I'm making this one special just for you."

"I'm flattered," Penny remarked weakly, voice cracking. She almost felt like she wanted to cry at the open threat of having one of her organs removed and the imminent possibility of death but instead her eyes remained startlingly dry. She ran a shaky hand through her hair and exhaled slowly. It was either her job or her life and she wasn't petty. "Look," she started and he gradually sat back down. "She's been trying to pawn off this idea on government officials for months now and they've not let up."

"She?" Frost interjected, startling Penny. She'd completely forgotten he was there.

"Amanda Waller," she answered and Frost nodded in recognition. Mister J gave him an expectant stare.

"She's a high-ranking intelligence operative for the US government," Frost explained. For a moment Penny was concerned about how he knew that but the woman wasn't exactly hidden from the eyes of the media.

Mister J made a sound in the back of his throat that sounded like a curious hum.

"Right," she agreed, feeling uneasy. "She's had this idea for an organization called Task Force X. The only reason I know about it is because she's pitched it to officials several times always to be shot down. From my understanding, they would use incarcerated criminals to take part in covert missions set out by the US government and in return they'd get a lower prison sentence. I don't know the details," Penny shook her head, "but I'm pretty sure Harley Quinn is one of her picks if they decide to go through with it. They want the worst of the worst. It's probably why she was transferred from _Arkham_."

Mister J ran his pointer finger along his bottom lip in contemplation.

"Do you know when Waller plans to run it by them again?" Frost spoke for Mister J when he didn't immediately say anything.

Penny gave him a steady look. "I'm pretty sure she tried again today."

"And if they relent?"

"I don't know," Penny emphasized again. "I'm not in the loop. I don't even know if they have a set mission yet. All I know is she's determined to make it happen and apparently she has a secret weapon."

Mister J clicked his tongue. "Which is?"

" _I don't know_."

Frost opened his mouth to say something but Mister J held up a hand to stop him.

"It's alright," he assured thickly, though Penny was almost certain Frost wasn't going to say anything against her. "She's been a good sport."

He rested his chin in his hands as he stared vacantly at the table, letting the details of Penny's information simmer. She could almost see the cranks turning in his head as he devised some sort of strategy or plan, one that most likely wouldn't bode well for the other parties involved.

Penny didn't quite believe the reports that said the Joker was certifiably insane. She knew he did it before. Claimed the insanity defense. That's why instead of immediately being put in line for death row, he was instead transferred to one of the world's most renowned psychiatric hospitals and admitted as a patient. She'd never been unfortunate enough to visit the _Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane_ but she'd met a few people who had and even just visiting for academic purposes a few hours out of the day they never left the same. Penny didn't know what kind of person the Joker was before being admitted but knowing that he'd spent months locked in a straight jacket said a lot about his character. Anyone else would've cracked under the pressure, the confinement. But maybe he'd already cracked before the padded cell so that, in a way, was what kept his mentality in check.

She didn't pretend to know anything about the man in front of her but judging by the way he talked, the way he moved… no. She didn't believe he was insane at all because in order to be criminally insane, one has to have absolutely no control over their actions, sometimes going as far as to forget the things they did even happened. Penny was sure he was fully aware of all the crimes he committed and knew exactly what he was doing. Even the most notorious killers have some of the brightest minds.

If anything, that made them scarier.

"Do you think it's a good idea?" Mister J's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Penny blinked over at him. "What?"

"This," he waved his hand about, his rings flashing under the chandelier, "Task Force X. You think it's a good idea?"

"Um," she shifted a bit in her seat. She'd never really thought about it before. Mister J watched her carefully, shoulders swaying slightly even though there currently wasn't a song playing. "Probably not. I think it'd be too easy to get out of hand."

"But a lower prison sentence," he announced vibrantly, waving his arms about. A waiter passing by their booth flinched, nearly dropping the flutes of champagne on his platter. "What if I never get her outta there? I'd be able to see her sooner. We all want that, don't we?"

Penny felt like she was being backed into a corner. Anything she said at this point would be wrong. Mister J gave a slow laugh at the conflicted look on her face, the sound causing a chill to race down her spine.

"I'm just messin' with ya, Pennywise. I'll get her outta there alright," he nodded, licking his lips. He pulled something out of his sleeve and the color drained from Penny's cheeks when she realized it was a knife, "even if I have to carve every single person who stands in my way…" the blade glinted, flashing in Penny's eyes and she recoiled. Mister J laughed again. "You're free to go, dollface," he winked. "You've been a big help. I'll call ya when I need ya."

Penny slid ungracefully out of the booth, the Joker's hysteric cackles following her all the way out.

What the hell had she gotten herself into?


	2. The Estate

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the DC Universe nor any recognizable storylines from _Suicide Squad_. I only own my character(s) and the plot of this story. This is rated T for language, possible gore and violence, and mature scenes.**

* * *

 **2\. THE ESTATE**

Penny pulled her coat closer and readjusted her grip on the bag of Chinese takeout in her hand. It was the time of year in Gotham where the mornings and evenings were cold but midday it felt warm and stuffy. Penny felt aggravated that she had to carry a coat with her everywhere she went to compensate for the bipolar weather, especially since her office building was almost always cold no matter what season it was. It managed to rain throughout most of this particular day, warranting cool weather but humid air that did not make for a pleasant combination which was what made Penny's mood sour.

As per her usual luck, Penny's car decided that morning that it didn't have the will to live and refused to start. She ended up being an hour and a half late to work because she had to call a towing service to tow her car to the nearest shop and then she had to call someone to give her a ride. Her co-worker Marcus being the generic nice guy that he was offered to swing by and pick her up on his way to his usual coffee joint he always stopped at before work. He bought her a coffee to make up for her car troubles which she appreciated but had a feeling he only did it because she'd yet to say yes to any of his lunch date offers.

Once she finally got to work, she overheard Marcus talking to a man named Nick Flint who attended the meeting with Amanda Waller two days prior regarding Task Force X. Not only did Government officials finally agree to move forward with the project, Nick apparently has a cousin who works at _Belle Reve_ who said the so-called members of Task Force X were being moved out of their holding cells today. Penny immediately felt a pang in her chest at the news, wondering if she was supposed to find Mister J and let him know or wait for him to come to her. A small part of her hoped that Mister J had enough goons infiltrating the grapevine that he didn't have a use for her anymore.

For the rest of the day she was on edge, only half-heartedly compiling the research papers as assigned to her by her superior for a Doctor Van Chris who apparently worked for Wayne Enterprises. On any other day she might've been fascinated by the work.

Now Penny found herself walking home that afternoon after stopping by _Sunny Palace_ , worrying her bottom lip still over the news of Task Force X. She also felt anxious about her car because she'd yet to hear back from the auto shop. She didn't know if it just needed a new battery or if it was something worse. Like her having to buy a new car.

Penny was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the black SUV pulling up alongside her. She remained oblivious until the owner of the vehicle rolled down their passenger side window and called her name through it.

"Penelope Weiss!" she heard shouted off to her left.

Furrowing her brows, Penny slowed her step and glanced over at the heavily tinted car. She squinted through the open window, spotting a man dressed primly in a black suit with dark sunglasses over his eyes. She couldn't tell if she recognized him or not but she felt uneasy nonetheless. She didn't stop walking and the SUV continued rolling at a slow pace to keep up with her stride.

She looked around her, thinking that maybe she just misheard them— _A lot of things sound like 'Penelope Weiss',_ she attempted to reason with herself—but it was obvious their gaze was trained on her. She usually had a can of pepper spray with her because she _did_ live in Gotham City after all but it was currently tucked away in the glove box of her detained, dead car.

"Yes?" she asked warily. Would someone really try to kidnap her in broad daylight on a public street?

"Your presence is needed," he stated. He didn't speak threateningly but more so like he was simply reciting instructions given to him by someone else.

Penny could feel the ball of dread growing in her stomach and her eyes momentarily flitted down to the silver emblem underneath the SUV's side mirror. It was a small crown that resembled a jester hat.

Heart thumping wildly, Penny glanced around her once more as if afraid someone was going to catch her voluntarily getting into a car that would take her to Gotham City's infamous Clown Prince. As if everyone knew exactly where she was going and was silently judging her for it.

She stepped towards the SUV that came to a steady halt once she moved in its direction and she pulled the door open. Warm air wafted out through the vehicle's air vents, making her feel cozy and less frigid as she climbed in and closed the door behind her. The second the door latched shut, the man behind the wheel pulled out into the far lane, not giving her the chance to change her mind and fly out the door unless she wanted to become roadkill.

Penny sat her purse and food in the floor between her legs before leaning back and eyeing the man next to her closely. Now that she had a better view of him even if it was of his profile she easily recognized him to be Frost. He was the man she sat next to at the club two days ago. Her shoulders lost a bit of their stiffness at this. At least she was with someone familiar.

"Where are we going?" she felt compelled to ask a minute later.

"To J's place," Frost answered before he signaled to change lanes.

The speed limit was 35 and he was driving exactly that. He even braked for the crosswalk despite the fact that there was no one in it. He was driving better than she did when she took her driving test. Penny didn't really know what she was expecting but that certainly wasn't it.

It was silent for the rest of the drive. Frost didn't try to make conversation with her, not that she expected him to. He had the radio playing lowly, some classical music station that seemed to feature a violin and piano more often than any other instrument. A few times Penny opened her mouth to ask why she was being taken to "J's place" but every time she closed it before a word could come out. It was probably a stupid question and she had a feeling she didn't really have a right to choose in this situation anyway so it'd be both stupid and pointless to ask.

She gazed out the window, watching the scenery turn from skyscrapers and city blocks to green country and open skies. She wasn't sure how long they drove and she realized a bit too late that she probably should've been paying attention to all the turns he took in case she found herself trapped or stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Soon the car approached a large brick estate mounted on a slight hill in the distance. It was blocked off with a fence that stood at least twice Penny's height with an automated gate before a vast courtyard. Penny stared wide eyed as the SUV followed the winding road up to the estate and circled around back where a large garage awaited with the door already open. There seemed to be an entrance into the estate's basement attached to the side of the garage. Penny noticed the door was padlocked with a code entry.

The SUV pulled into the garage between an unmarked white van and a similar SUV that was larger than the one she was in. When Frost killed the engine Penny pushed open the door and stepped out, blinking across from her at a door that led into what seemed to be another garage. If she wasn't mistaken she spotted the back end of a shiny blue Audi R8. Her mouth fell open.

Frost circled around the front of the SUV and paused near the door, holding it open for her as she quickly retrieved her purse and Chinese food. He closed the door when she stepped back and motioned her around the white van. Penny spotted a sliding glass door next to a wall of dark cabinets that were either code-locked or labeled. She wondered what kind of stuff was in there; if it was just auto mechanics or more personal things. Who would put a lock on a cabinet that had oil and a car jack?

He tugged open the glass door and motioned her in first. She entered cautiously, surprised at how quiet the house seemed to be. In her mind she had this picture of Mister J's henchman stalking every corridor and monitoring each room with weapons on hand, but there was no one. To her right was a grand living room with a tall, cobblestone fireplace and wood floors adjacent to a bearskin rug underneath a glass coffee table and a white leather couch. Above the fireplace sat a flat screen television that must've been at least 65". To her right was an equally large kitchen fit for a chef with beautiful marble countertops.

She heard the door slide closed behind her before Frost sidestepped her.

"Follow me," he told her.

Penny walked a few feet behind him through a hallway that led into a great entry room. He began ascending a spiral staircase and Penny gaped at the chandelier that dangled from the arched ceiling. The crystals that glittered on the fixture must've cost more than her parents' entire home.

When they reached the top Frost turned down the right corridor and slowed until he was walking in step with her.

"Word reached us about Task Force X," he explained, his dress shoes click-clacking on the floors and echoing off the walls. "We tried vacating Harley before it developed further but were unsuccessful. She appears to be missing, along with the other assets," Penny pursed her lips but didn't say anything. She already knew this. "As you can imagine he was rather upset. If I were you I'd keep your distance and try to cooperate to the best of your ability," he suggested when they reached a closed door at the end of the hallway. "We'd like to make this as painless as possible."

Penny absolutely did not like the sound of that. Mister J was an active landmine on the best of days. She could only imagine how quick his temper was when he was already angry. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and swollen and she tried to swallow, clenching her shaking fist around the bag of takeout she forgot she'd still been holding before she dropped it.

Frost gave her something akin to a sympathetic smile before he pushed open the door. Penny could hear the blood racing in her eardrums and her palms were sweaty before she felt her feet carry her into the room.

The first thing she saw was the barrel of a gun pointed directly at her and she stopped short, causing Frost to bump into her from behind.

Mister J was hunched forward on the ground, eyes narrowed and unfocused as he trained the silver pistol on her frozen form. He had a deranged look on his pale face that caused Penny's blood to run cold. Her mind raced as she recognized that there was a loaded gun ready to empty its magazine into her chest and the owner of the gun had very little remorse on whether she lived or died. She had no idea what to do. She barely had a chance to spare the ink traced around his red-stained lips and wonder why it was there.

The haze in Mister J's eyes soon faded when he got a good look at her and he slowly lowered the gun, bobbing it on his knee as he looked at her with blazed contempt. She could tell he wasn't all there; there was a maniacal glint in his eye that almost made him unrecognizable to her. Another reminder of who she was dealing with. This man may not have been insane in the legal sense, but he certainly was psychotic.

"Where is she?" he growled, voice haggard and gravely.

Penny mouthed wordlessly until she felt a nudge against her lower back. It elicited a startled gasp out of her and she jumped, quickly moving out of Frost's way so he could close the door behind them as if unwilling to let anyone eavesdrop. Penny turned back around, eyes finally catching the alarming array of sharp knives and blades that lay scattered about the floor around the clown prince. Her gaze flickered over every one, slowly scanning the room with baited breath until she spotted a still body face down on the carpet on the far side of the room. There was a dark red stain underneath the man's head and his skin looked ashen. She could see herself lying next to him in her head, bleeding out and decaying slowly. She felt like she was going to be sick.

Penny glanced back at Mister J, noticing the slight tint of red on his tattooed hand that held the pistol. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off of it after that.

"Um," she cleared her throat when her voice came out as a croak. "They, uh, they moved all of the people for it to a new location today. That's what I heard," she said, hoping that by saying that he'd understand she didn't actually _know_ anything personally.

" _Where?_ " he enunciated slowly.

He continued bobbing the gun in what she assumed he thought was a harmless way on his knee but she could tell he was purposefully pointing it back in her direction again. Penny felt her knees begin to shake.

"I don't know, I…" she tried to piece her thoughts together in a way that made sense in her frantic state. "There were military personnel in the building yesterday. Maybe they've transferred them to a base somewhere. T-they'll want to maybe train them o-or go over artillery."

Mister J's head rolled, a strand of green hair falling down into his face. He stared at a blank spot on the floor, eyes clouded over. Penny noticed a mannequin standing off to her left and recognized the infamous black and red jester costume. The feminine body shape alone would've given it away as Harley Quinn's outfit, probably one of the first the Joker had given to her.

"Your Amanda Waller has been keeping in close contact with a scientist from Wayne Enterprises," Frost said to her. She looked at him. He had his arms crossed behind his back, sunglasses tucked into the front pocket of his suit jacket. He had a rather young face despite the wrinkles underneath his eyes. "Word on the street is they're devising an implantable device to use against those in Task Force X. A sort of behavioral tactic, if you will."

"What kind of device?" Penny asked carefully.

"Well, he has made some extraordinary leaps in the field of nanotechnology," said Frost with a head tilt, as if that was supposed to mean something to her. "He has his own lab. You may have heard of it: Van Chris Laboratories?"

The irony should have been funny to her… the way everything managed to come full circle, like all of this madness was just destined to revolve around her. But she wasn't laughing.

"Dr. Van Chris," she said, still sounding surprised even though she wasn't. "I've been working on his research for months. My superior reports to him."

"Excellent," Frost announced, moving down a step so he could take a seat on the floor next to her. "You may know something we don't."

Frost offered her a seat next to him but she shook her head. She wasn't quite comfortable enough to sit down a few feet away from a pistol that was still aimed at her head. Plus the iron scent of blood was beginning to infect the room and that mixed with her room temperature chow mien was beginning to make her stomach churn.

"I read a few of his papers on the nanoscale and nanomaterials including some of the experiments he's conducted but I've never seen anything referenced to Task Force X," she denied immediately.

Frost gave a brief chuckle. "I assume you wouldn't. If I was part of top secret government intel, I wouldn't publicize it for the whole world to see either."

Penny couldn't deny he had a point. But she still didn't understand what this had to do with her.

"I don't have any information to give you," she said, eyeing Mister J out of the corner of her eye. He licked his lips as he watched her under hooded eyes, pointer finger stroking the trigger on his pistol like it was his pet. She quickly looked away, feeling the hairs on her arms stand on end. "I can only tell you what I've heard from other people and… that's pretty much it. I'm not high enough on the totem pole to be told any of this stuff."

"Then find a way to get it yourself," Mister J interjected before Frost could reply. Penny glanced over at him.

"You said you read a few of his papers," Frost agreed, head tilted up to face her. "Bring them to us."

"Those probably aren't even in the same building as me anymore," Penny countered. "And if they are, they're locked away in a safe I have zero access to."

"I understand you're good with computers," Frost remarked. Penny didn't want to ask how he knew that. She was beginning to think Mister J and his men had been sniffing around her for a while before finally asking to meet with her. She tried to ignore the way that made her skin crawl at the thought of being watched at odd hours of the day—or night. "Find them in the system. Surely they have to be logged somewhere, right? Copy them to a hard drive."

"Which will immediately notify all firewalls and I'll be taken to the nearest prison within the hour," she denied, slightly frantic. She had no intentions of spending the remainder of her life behind bars. She still had another year before she got a discount on her car insurance.

Frost lifted a shoulder. "We can handle the security. All you need to do is apprehend the information."

"You make it sound so easy," Penny licked her lips nervously. "Why do you need this stuff anyway? How will it help you find her?"

"The appropriate next step wouldn't be to locate her at this point," said Frost. Penny furrowed her brows.

"It's what they're gonna do to her," Mister J finished.

Penny watched as the clown dropped the gun on the floor next to his knives, running his blood-stained hand through his hair before resting his temple on the hand. His red-rimmed blue eyes gazed at Penny.

"See, if they hurt her, Pennywise… oh, if they hurt her…" his lips opened slowly to expose a row of silver teeth. She heard the unspoken threat loud and clear. That must've been what all the knives were for. He noticed her staring at them again. He gestured with a bejeweled hand. "See, I got one for each of them stiffs. I said I'd carve anyone who got in my way… can't just do it the same way every time. They've all gotta be special," he grinned, a heartless and completely disturbed grin, and Penny bit the inside of her cheek. His gaze fell to the bag still clutched in her hand. "Whatcha got there?"

Penny blinked and glanced down at it, once again completely forgetting it was there.

"Oh," she said. "Um, Chinese food."

Mister J opened his arms wide. "By all means… eat."

Penny frowned and couldn't stop her eyes from falling on the body that continued to ooze spoiled blood. She couldn't say she had much of an appetite at the moment.

"I'd rather not," she said. Mister J found amusement in her discomfort.

"You ever seen someone die before?" he asked, so casually like he was discussing the weather.

"Not in person," she muttered.

Mister J looked at the body intently. "He wasn't able to get my Queen back," he lamented. "I asked him to find her and he didn't. He didn't do what I said. He disobeyed. So he had to be punished."

Penny didn't see the logic in that at all if it was out of the man's control but she knew better than to say that out loud. Instead she watched Mister J watch the man's still body. He tapped his blood-stained hand on his temple, the diamonds from his gold ring twinkling on the ceiling like a disco ball. She couldn't tell if he was rejoicing in the death of his henchman or if he was replaying the events leading up to the man's death inside his head. And honestly, she couldn't tell which was worse.

Mister J then pulled his knees into his chest and lurched himself forward to his feet in one quick motion, causing Penny to start and take an involuntary step back. He shuffled the pistol in his hand like he was testing the weight, looking somehow comforted that he could feel it in his hand, before stuffing it into the holster at his ribcage. Frost stood as well and Mister J approached him, rubbing his forehead.

"Take care of that will ya, Frost?" he said, referring to the body. Frost nodded and moved towards it while Mister J glanced at Penny with dark eyes. "C'mon, Pennywise."

He motioned her impatiently forward and she quickly opened the door, letting herself out first. Mister J trailed behind her down the hall, his bare feet padding along the ground. She didn't like that she couldn't see him. She could only feel his eyes on the back of her head, making her nervous. She reached the top of the stairs and paused, unsure of where he wanted to go. He outstretched an arm again, brows knitted, and she descended the stairs faster than she ascended them earlier. She went back the way she came without stopping this time and he continued to follow her until she stood between the living area and the kitchen.

"Sit and eat," Mister J all but commanded before stalking into the kitchen and pulling open the two-door stainless steel fridge.

Penny closed her eyes, screaming internally over the fact that she wasn't allowed to leave yet. She took a deep breath and then headed over to the large L-shaped couch. She hesitated before placing her cold Chinese on the glass table and sitting on the edge of the couch.

"Grape soda?" Mister J asked. He didn't wait for a reply and instead appeared circling the other side of the couch with two glasses of purple fizzing liquid. He offered a glass to her and she eyed it warily, unsure whether or not she should take it. Mister J noticed her hesitance and raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "If I wanted to kill you, it wouldn't be by poisoning. That's too easy," she reluctantly accepted it, simply holding it in her lap as he plopped down closer to her than she would've liked before adding almost cheekily, "Also not fun at all."

Penny sighed and placed her glass on the table next to her unopened box of food. Mister J looked at the bag of takeout and then at her, face hard. She reached forward and pulled the Styrofoam box out of the bag, stomach gurgling as she opened it to see the food had grown limp and cold.

"I'll heat it up for you."

Mister J took the box out of her hands and stood, but not before downing a huge gulp of his grape soda. On the way to the kitchen he stopped to pick up a remote on one of the end tables and pressed a button. Flames erupted in the fireplace causing Penny to jump in her seat. If he noticed he didn't comment on it.

A few buttons were pressed on the microwave before a dull hum filled the air. Penny sat straight as a board, staring into the flames that wavered and sparked until Mister J's voice tore through her thoughts,

"You're awfully quiet, dollface."

Penny didn't know how to answer for a minute.

"I don't really know what to say to you," she said truthfully after a few moments.

"You flatter me," he droned, voice low again. "Am I the only man to make old Penny _Weiss_ speechless?"

Penny fleetingly closed her eyes again.

"To a certain extent."

He chuckled, a sound that echoed deep in his chest. The sound made Penny want to curl up into herself.

The microwave beeped and Mister J retrieved her reheated dinner. When he appeared at her side again she at least expected it this time so she didn't jump or clench when he sat all but six inches away from her. He placed the hot box of food in her lap and handed her an intricate pair of chopsticks she knew didn't come from the restaurant. She gently took the chopsticks from him and sat them in the box, waiting for him to look away. When he didn't, she sighed inaudibly before bringing a dainty bite to her lips. It didn't taste as good when it wasn't fresh, something she was already aware of, but she ate anyhow if only to please him.

He sunk back into the couch after her first bite, drinking from his half-empty grape soda. The only sound in the room then was of the flames crackling in the fireplace, Penny's slow chewing, and the cryptic sounds of rough scraping against wooden floors upstairs.

Halfway through her meal she finally took a sip of the soda. It was cold and the carbonation burned her throat, but it was a pleasant sort of burn. She almost choked on it though when a loud thump echoed on the staircase, followed by three more before more scraping followed as it faded down the far side of the house. She watched the doorway that led into the entry room, knowing that Frost was disposing of the man's body as instructed. The food in her stomach suddenly felt very heavy and she took another drink of her soda in hopes that it'd chase the unpleasant feeling away.

After sitting the glass down, she felt something itchy on the side of her face and turned to find it was Mister J's stare. He seemed intent on watching her closely like he was analyzing her every move; the way she ate, tucked her hair behind her ear, even breathed. When a side door closed somewhere in the house, Penny was aware that she was now left alone with him. She tried to not let her anxiety show and instead softly closed her box of takeout.

"Not hungry anymore?" he asked faintly. The question seemed to be for his amusement but there were no traces of a smile on his face.

She shook her head.

He took the box from her and stood from the couch again, disappearing somewhere behind her. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and pulled her purse into her lap. The door that had been opened earlier reopened and footsteps echoed into the house, becoming louder until Frost emerged from the hallway. Penny twisted in her spot to look at him, seeing the wordless exchange between him and Mister J as their eyes met. She didn't have a chance at decoding it no matter how hard she tried.

"It's getting late," Mister J spoke up when their gazes disconnected. Penny glanced out one of the windows and saw the sun beginning to set, coloring the sky in shades of orange and pink through the haze of murky clouds. "I'll take you home."

Frost led her back out the sliding glass door she first entered and Mister J was close on their heels. He slipped on a pair of nice shoes that showed Penny's reflection in them and then nicked a pair of keys off the line of hooks that decorated the wall. He tossed the keys in his hands and Penny followed him without direction, casting one last look at Frost who nodded at her in return. She didn't really know what to do in response so she just looked away.

Mister J ambled casually through the door in the garage she saw upon first arriving. She gazed openly at what she correctly guessed was a vibrant blue Audi R8 with deep black rims and a colorful exhaust. Mister J whistled as he skirted past the vehicle, popping his lips as he approached a familiar purple-pink holographic Vaydor G35 that was shinier than his shoes with golden accents. She'd seen the car recorded a few times on the news following high-speed chases. Sometimes between him and Batman, other times between him and whomever managed to get on his bad side that week.

He unlocked the car with the key fob in his hand and the car's white-blue headlights flashed.

"Get in."

Stepping inside was kind of like seeing the inside of a spaceship for the first time to Penny. Her car was maybe worth $1400 on Craigslist and growing up her parents never made enough money to splurge on luxury. The seats were white but stiff. Actually, everything was white. The dashboard, the headliner, the steering wheel… even the floor mats. And yet there wasn't a speck of dirty anywhere. The lights inside glowed a soft lavender and as Mister J hit the push-start button, the engine roared loudly to life before the tires squealed as he sped out of the garage. Penny gasped and clung to the door to keep herself steady. She was too terrified to really admire all the gadgetry and technology inside the car, but she did acknowledge that there was a large LED screen next to the steering wheel that controlled the radio and GPS.

She barely had time to blink before they were out the gate and flying down the side road. And there was one thing she noticed almost immediately.

He drove _nothing_ like Frost.

Whereas the older man obeyed every traffic law in the book, Mister J seemed to break all of them. He veered off into the passing lane a few times, riding the middle line a good five miles. Thankfully there was no one else on the road. That is until they got further into the city where buildings were becoming less scarce. Penny gripped the headliner tightly as he sped through a traffic light that had been red for at least two or three seconds.

"You really know nothing about subtlety, do you?" she exclaimed breathlessly, keeping an eye on the rearview mirror for any red and blue flashing lights.

"Not in my vocabulary, doll," Mister J remarked, making a sharp turn down a public road

The car steadied in the lane and his lead foot seemed to let up for the moment, allowing Penny to slouch against the door in silent relief. They were closely approaching the street Frost had picked her up on—a very common street in Gotham City at night—and Penny licked her lips again.

"If you make a left up here you can just drop me off on the right. My building isn't far and parking is a nightmare," she said, trying to appear nonchalant. She wanted to be as vague about her instructions as possible so he didn't have any incentive to pay her unsuspecting visits later on down the road. She didn't miss the way the pedestrians on the sidewalk eyed the car as well which made her even more anxious to be seen in public.

"I'm sorry," Mister J retorted airily, leaning his elbow against the armrest in between them. She looked at him cautiously. He tilted his head to gaze at her. "You assume that I don't already know exactly where you live."

Penny just stared at him, blinked, and then turned her head away slowly.

"How do you know where I live?"

"C'mon Pennywise," Mister J crooned. He turned left as she instructed but continued downward until they reached her street. "Don't play me like that. You're supposed to be a fuckin' genius, remember?"

He turned into the parking garage adjacent to her apartment building and she gritted her teeth. Some higher power must've been on her side though because her level was empty save for the same parked cars she saw every day, all of which were free from any prying eyes. He pressed on the brakes a few feet from the elevator, squealing the tires yet again as the car came to an abrupt halt.

The car rumbled even as it idled and Mister J rested against the armrest again, hand casually holding the steering wheel. His blue eyes scanned the side of her face and she adamantly continued to face forward until she felt one of his fingers poke a loose curl that fell out of her bun. She flinched and looked over at him. He grinned when their eyes met.

"See ya later, sweetcheeks," he winked. "Don't forget to do your homework."

Penny would have fallen out of the car with how fast she pushed the door open but since the car sat so low to the ground, she mostly had to climb out of it. She glanced at him after closing the door and he held their gaze for a couple seconds before looking away. The tires squealed again as he made a trip around the parking garage. She followed the car with her eyes, backing up a bit when he came barreling back around the corner. He released the accelerator as he passed and she heard the high-pitched depression of air from the blow off valve, causing her to wince. He barely stopped at the exit before twisting out of the garage, car echoing down the street.

Penny didn't release the breath she was holding until she couldn't hear the engine of the car anymore.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this one! I got it out quick because I've technically written four chapters of this story already, I just didn't want to post them all at once. Also,** **I popped a disclaimer up there that will probably be at the start of every chapter, just an fyi.**

 **So wow, 10 favorites and 10 follows already? That's so cool! Thank you guys, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! I'm considering changing the summary because I'm not sure if I'm feeling it or not. It is an excerpt from the story but I don't know if it really pulls you in as a reader or not. Let me know what you think if you get a chance? I'm on the fence because summaries are not my forte.**

 **mun3litKnight : I'm glad the story's interested you so far. You'll find out how the two of them met later on! inperfection: Thank you! I'm happy you like it :)**


	3. Psychoanalyzing

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the DC Universe nor any recognizable storylines from _Suicide Squad_. I only own my character(s) and the plot of this story. This is rated T for language, possible gore and violence, and mature scenes.**

* * *

 **3\. PSYCHOANALYZING**

Penny stared miserably at the small disc she burned the files onto. She immediately felt ashamed for taking Dr. Van Chris's research, knowing that if anything were to happen to him or his contributions to science she would be held partially accountable for it. Whether any digital fingerprints could be traced back to her was still unknown, she still felt morally responsible nonetheless and she wasn't very good at living with a guilty conscience.

She was sitting in her cubicle at the end of the following work day, squeezing a stress ball she kept at her desk. Again she was left with the conundrum of whether she should try to get in contact with Mister J so he could take his stupid disc or if she should just wait for him to come to her. Her mind was betting on the latter since he seemed to enjoy showing up unexpectedly.

As Frost mentioned the day before, the firewalls were no problem at all which still managed to baffle Penny. There was practically no security on any of the usual heavily guarded files in their company's private hard drives. Penny couldn't help but wonder why they needed her help if they were able to break down all the figurative walls blocking the files they wanted in the first place. Then again, she figured they didn't really know what to look for.

Most folders were only accessible by codes and certain routes. Thankfully Penny was familiar with both. Truth be told she was almost taken aback by the amount of things she found along the way. She almost felt tempted to take a peek in some of the files, especially the ones labeled AREA 51 and MANHATTAN PRJ. Unfortunately there was nothing in relation to Task Force X, but still. It really was true that even the government's most protected secrets were accessible via something as simple as a public computer. All one needed was a way to get past all the barriers.

Once she got through her usual work for the day she informed her supervisor she was staying late. She wanted to keep up the pretense that she was working overtime so she could have access to the building later in the day. Since most people in her unit worked until three or four pm at the latest, she had more privacy to burn the files to a blank disc she brought with her. While doing so she skimmed the papers and, as expected, didn't see Task Force X or anything similar referenced in them but she did learn quite a bit about a new idea Dr. Van Chris had for a thing called the nano bullet.

To say it was disturbing was putting it mildly.

"Hey you," a voice greeted as a hand tapped the top of her cube.

"Nothing!" Penny said quickly, blinking out of her stupor and tossing her stress ball on the desk. Marcus gave her a weird look and she glanced around. Realizing she was defending herself for absolutely no reason she gave him a chagrinned smile as her cheeks grew hot. "Sorry, you kind of took me by surprise there."

"Yeah no kidding," he chuckled awkwardly, eyebrows still raised oddly at her behavior. "Ten hour shifts aren't really good to you, are they?"

Penny flattened her hair for lack of anything better to do. She snatched the disc and placed it in her purse. She then gave him a tight smile.

"No, I suppose they're not."

"I feel you. I'm only doing it to help pay for my dad's hospital bills," he mentioned casually. Penny wasn't dense. He eyed her breezily, gauging her reaction to see if his good character had any effect on her. It would have had he not been fishing for compliments on it.

"I see," she inelegantly replied.

She signed out of her computer and shut the lamp off at her desk before standing. She was ready to give him a dismissive smile but he seemed to be on his way out as well. Her shoulders slumped as he walked alongside her to the elevators.

"So hey, you need a ride home? I know you were having some car trouble yesterday and I didn't know if it'd been resolved yet…"

"Oh no it has," Penny was quick to inform him. It wasn't a lie. She got a call during her lunch saying that her car was more or less running again. She took the subway to the auto shop.

"Oh," said Marcus, rubbing the back of his neck as they waited for the elevator to arrive. It was quiet save for the soft music playing over the hall speakers. "Right. That's good."

The sign above the elevator lit up with a musical _ding!_ and the two of them stepped inside. He pressed the lobby button and Penny made sure to stand on the opposite side as him. She had nothing against Marcus, really. He was a genuinely nice guy but he didn't seem to get that she just wasn't interested. She had too much on her plate right now. Maybe after everything with Mister J was said and done she could go back to leading a relatively normal life. Then maybe she'd consider going out with Marcus for real. He wasn't necessarily unappealing to the eyes with his dirty blonde hair and white smile and when he wasn't trying to impress her he was fun to talk to. He wore polo shirts a little too often for her liking and the collar was always buttoned up to his neck but she could probably overlook that.

The ride down to the first floor was carried in heavy silence. When the doors finally slid open Penny and Marcus exchanged quick goodbyes before heading in opposite directions out of the building. Penny shook her head, almost wanting to laugh at the incredulity of it all. She was twenty-four years old and she could only guess he was somewhere around that age, too. Weren't they a bit old to make things awkward like this? It made her feel like she was back in high school.

Penny drove home with the radio playing in the background. It was another murky day in Gotham filled with wet streets and people not knowing how to drive on them. When she got to her apartment building she kept a close eye on neighboring streets and looked for dark corners in the parking garage Mister J or Frost could be lurking in. She didn't relax until she actually got to her apartment and found it equally empty.

With a deep sigh she dropped her purse on the kitchen counter and reached into her fridge for a bottle of water. She took three large gulps before dragging her feet into her bedroom where she promptly pulled the curtains shut and fell onto her bed fully clothed on top of the sheets.

She was out within minutes.

* * *

When Penny awoke some hours later she felt groggy and had no idea what time it was. It was noticeably darker outside now than when she left it but at least she felt a little more refreshed.

With a big yawn, she stretched out her stiff limbs before finally kicking her shoes off and changing out of her work clothes. She wrinkled her nose at the fact that she actually slept in a blouse and pencil skirt, unsurprised to find that her shirt had wrinkled itself quite a bit in her sleep.

When she was changed into a pair of sweatpants and a loose shirt she brushed her hair and teeth before stalking over to her door that led into the living room. It was pitch black and she groaned internally at the fact that she didn't turn any lights on before falling asleep. She took a step forward, intent on finding a light switch before tripping over something, but paused mid-way through. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end. She didn't know what it was, but some natural instinct inside of her told her that something was wrong.

She'd been so tired when she got home that she hadn't felt it but now that she was awake and fully aware, she could feel the electricity on the air. She tensed.

Someone was in her apartment.

She glanced blindly towards the center of what she knew was her living room. It was only a few feet away but she could almost sense someone sitting in the recliner across from her couch. She squinted, noticing the faintest outline of a figure darker than the rest of the blackness that surrounded it. She couldn't tell if her heart stopped or sped up but either way it felt like the organ had lodged itself in her windpipe. She opened her mouth to scream—it was the only thing she could think to do, someone was bound to hear it—before the lamp next to the couch flickered on unexpectedly.

Pain shot through her skull at the sudden brightness and she winced, shielding her face. Fight or flight instincts told her to run for the door to scream for help but when she opened her mouth to yell another voice sounded.

"Good evening, Pennywise."

Penny froze. She should've known.

Sitting on her armchair not twenty feet away was Mister J, decked out in all his formal glory. A suit jacket was tossed over the back of one of her dining chairs, something she's certain she would have seen earlier. He must've slipped in while she was asleep.

"Did I startle you?" he asked innocently, grinning at how out of her element she seemed to look.

"Yes," she breathed, panic soon fading into annoyance. She placed a hand over her chest and glared at him. "You could've _knocked_ , you know."

"Could've," he agreed, inclining his head. "But that would've interrupted your nap and you looked _so_ peaceful."

The implications that he was watching her sleep made her skin crawl.

"So I thought I'd just let myself in," he waved an arm, standing from the armchair. The hand with the Rolex wrapped around its wrist reached into his pocket, pulling back to reveal a familiar disc. He twisted it around in his hand, casting rainbow reflections all over the walls. "Found this while I was waiting for you to wake up. You slept a long time by the way," he mock-scolded, placing the disc back in his pocket. "You don't need _that_ much beauty sleep. Hardly anything needs improving."

Penny ignored what she assumed was meant to be a compliment and skirted around him to the kitchen. She didn't really know what to say to him, which wasn't unusual, but she found her discomfort was magnified knowing he was inside her space. And the fact that he got in so quietly.

"Um," she licked her lips. "I don't have any grape soda…" she subtly changed the subject, opening her fridge to reveal a bowl of chilled fruit, milk, and last week's takeout. She wasn't very good at grocery shopping. "Would you, um, like a glass of water?"

"So polite," he sang behind her. "Don't worry, doll. I helped myself."

She turned to face him. He had a glass in his hand filled with gold liquid.

"Apple juice," he informed her.

She furrowed her brows. Where did he find that?

"So what are you going to do with the files?" she asked, pushing the fridge door closed.

"We'll look through 'em later," he answered evasively, taking a generous sip of his 'apple juice'. "No news as of yet but we're lookin'."

Penny crossed her arms over her chest. Mister J noticed her tense shoulders and gestured widely to the couch across from him.

"By all means, make yourself comfortable. No need to play host for little ol' me."

Penny hesitated only for a moment before making her way back into the living room. She slipped past him, feeling the hairs on her arms stand straight as he watched her. She took a dainty seat on the end of the couch and Mister J followed suit, landing much less gracefully on the armchair's cushion. He spread his arms and legs.

"Ah," he sighed contently, arms spread eagle. He closed his eyes and Penny stared adamantly at the loose string in her sweatpants.

It was silent almost too long. For a second Penny was concerned that he actually fell asleep but he quickly retracted that thought for her as he readjusted himself. That itchiness was coming back; the feeling of being watched. It seemed to be his favorite pastime. She scooted back on the cushion, crossing her legs Indian style in front of her so she could rest her hands in her lap. She wondered what he was thinking about right now—if he was really thinking about her or if he was seeing something beyond her, something inside his own head. It only took a couple seconds for him to answer that for her.

"What do you consider love to be?" Mister J's rough voice rang in the quiet room.

Penny glanced over at him warily, unable to deny that she was caught off guard. His head was cocked lazily to the side with his pointer and middle fingers resting on his temple, eyes silently watching her with full alertness.

Penny watched him back for a moment, allowing herself to take a good look at him. His white dress shirt was wrinkled and loose with pink-brown stains decorating the collar and she briefly wondered whose blood it was and how it got there. His green hair was vibrant as usual but rather than slicked tightly to his scalp a few strands were hanging out of place. Penny was used to seeing him wound tight like a ball of rubber bands but tonight he seemed rather mellow and relaxed as he slouched in her armchair. The skin of his knuckles where his hand was resting at his temple was bruised in clouds of purple and green, his trademark colors. She wondered who he met with prior to her. She doubted whomever it was still had a beating heart.

It struck a chord deep inside her and made her stomach coil unpleasantly but the feeling eventually dissipated. She found the violence of his nature didn't affect her as much as it used to. It seemed she was getting used to his increasing body count and she didn't know whether that was a testament to her declining mental state or if she'd just delved into an amazing false sense of security ever since meeting him. Which was probably also a testament to her declining mental state. Or there was a carbon monoxide leak in her apartment.

Penny blinked herself out of her stupor, remembering that he asked her a question. Such an odd question it was. And it sounded even odder coming from him. She pursed her lips and considered it for a moment. She figured going with a generic, mechanical answer was the best route.

"I think love is an unnecessary but involuntary emotion that has been warped and exaggerated in modern-day media. I think it's very romanticized," she answered honestly, only realizing afterward how much she sounded like a glass half empty.

Mister J hummed, tracing his red-stained lips with his fingertip. She felt uneasy being subjected to such an intense stare. From how far apart they sat his eyes looked like pools of black that sunk deep into his skull.

"What does it entail?" he then asked, dramatically waving a pale hand in the air. "Loving someone," he clarified.

Penny narrowed her eyes a bit. She couldn't help but wonder why he wanted to know what she thought or why it even mattered to begin with. She wasn't used to such deep conversations even with people she knew well, and for him it seemed like such an uncharacteristic topic.

"I guess—"

"I don't want you to _guess_ , I want you to _know_ ," his gaze held hers steadily and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. His tone wasn't quite as harsh as it could've been but it was clear he wanted her to answer a certain way.

Penny opened and closed her mouth a few times, throat running dry. She thought about it for a few seconds and licked her lips. She hadn't really put much thought into it before. No one had ever asked her something like that and considering who she was talking to she felt compelled to answer the right way, whatever that way was.

"The way I see it," she chose her words carefully, "loving someone means you put them before yourself. You'd love them more than you love yourself which… I think would be hard."

He tilted his head further, interested with her approach. "Are you a narcissist?"

"No," she furrowed her brows. "Everyone loves themselves to a certain degree," she eyed him closely. "Some more than others," she could've easily crossed the line with that comment but he simply smirked, not denying the implications. She took a deep breath and concluded: "If you love someone enough, you'd be willing to die for them."

Mister J seemed like he'd been waiting for this response.

"O' contraire," he lifted a theatrical finger with a wide grin that exposed his metal mouth and pointed it at her. "I think you'd be willing to _live_ for them."

Penny frowned. "I… don't get what you mean."

"Well the general consensus is that living is harder than dying, right?" he raised a nonexistent eyebrow before giving an aloof shrug. "Can't say I know from personal experience but if you ask me death is probably the easiest thing you'll ever do," a sardonic smile spread across his pale face. It was a look that still unsettled her but she couldn't bring herself to look away from it. "But living? Keeping the blood pumping through your veins? Waking up every day and _not_ wanting to die? That's a shithole, dollface."

Penny squirmed in her spot on the couch and looked at him thoughtfully. From what he said she couldn't help but infer… "Do _you_ want to die?"

Mister J tossed his head back, exposing his long throat until the sinew stretched beneath the skin as he cackled. She tried ignoring the way it made goosebumps rise on her skin unpleasantly.

"Take it or leave it, doesn't really matter to me. But I think it'd be thrilling. Give me a slow death any day," his eyes widened as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, a maniacal glint twinkling there as his lips quirked up. His smile was nearly breathless as if he fascinated himself just thinking about it. "Just imagine… balancing on the edge, feeling the pain behind your eyes"—he pressed his middle finger against his temple—"throbbing as less and less oxygen reaches your brain. Just phasing between this world and the next. And then whatever comes next… well. Fire and brimstone. Hell. The Devil and all that. Maybe I'll get to shake his damn hand. I'm fucking _excited_ about it. But until then," he spread his arms wide, " _I'm_ the Devil."

"You're insane," Penny whispered. She wasn't stupid. She was able to read between the lines and it made her more horrified than she cared to admit. "Asphyxiation," she remarked, almost dazed. Her hands were frozen in an iron grip on her legs. "You want someone to choke you to death. That's how you dream of dying," she couldn't tell if she felt sick or just morbidly curious.

Mister J laughed again, a crackly sound like he'd been smoking for years. "I just want someone to choke me."

Penny finally looked away, feeling uneasy again. She was in way over her head with this. She should have never agreed to help him find Harley Quinn in the first place. If she hadn't, she wouldn't be sat in her apartment across from a psychopath who got off on being strangled.

Mister J was all too pleased with her reaction. He slumped back against the chair again, training his eyes on her face.

"Have you ever loved someone? Enough to want to die for them?"

"No," she replied stiffly, hoping her evasive answer would put the conversation to rest. No dice.

"Not even a mommy or daddy?" he pushed with an exaggerated pout. It only managed to make him look even more deranged.

Again, this was bordering on unfamiliar territory for her. She'd never talked about her personal life to such an extent with someone but she answered vaguely anyway to satisfy him.

"My mom died when I was very young. I was raised without her but I grew up just fine all the same," Penny commented. "How can I love someone I didn't even know?"

He looked amused but seemed to accept her story. "And your daddy?"

Penny clenched her jaw but kept her expression neutral. "He wasn't really around."

"So you wouldn't die for him?" Mister J clarified as if he didn't quite believe her. "Even if a gun was pointed to his head… you wouldn't try to intercept it? Or offer to take the bullet instead?" Penny didn't say anything. This was getting way too personal. And what made it worse was no. She probably wouldn't die for her father because she knew he wouldn't die for her. That shouldn't have made it okay; he was half of the reason she existed so shouldn't she have been more grateful? And yet, she didn't really feel all that guilty.

The Joker seemed to sense her inner turmoil and his silver teeth glinted in the low light. He sighed in mock sympathy before tapping the scripted ink on his forehead.

"Oh sweetheart, you are _so_ damaged."

"Why did you even ask me about it in the first place?" she snapped, feeling violated. He seemed too entertained to be angry with her tone. It was like a kitten trying to pounce at a lion. "What's it to you what love is?"

He tilted his head another way and puckered his lips with an exaggerated sigh.

"I killed a man once who had a little girl with him. He said she was his daughter, his _whole_ world. He begged me not to hurt her. Said he loved her and would do _anything_ I asked if I spared her life. It's interesting," he mused, twirling one of the rings on his left hand. The diamonds on its face sparkled underneath the lamp casting little disco balls on the ceiling. Penny stared unblinking at him, feeling an ominous sense of foreboding in her gut. "He was willing to leave her there alone in the wet and cold, abandoned with no way of getting home, because apparently sparing her from a quick death rather than a long one with no food, no place to go, was the lesser of two evils in his eyes."

Penny swallowed thickly as her heart shuddered in her chest.

"What did you do?" she couldn't help but ask. She knew she didn't want to hear the answer but a dangerous curiosity she never had before was beginning to rear its ugly head.

Mister J grinned slowly. "Killed her first, made him watch."

Penny made a strangled sound in the back of her throat. He licked his teeth with a smile.

"It's just as well," he gave a resigned shrug. "She had a soft face but her skin was too dark. Think they made her use that tanning shit that turns your skin orange. Probably some fucked up pageant family. She was much prettier when she was dead. She looked like a porcelain doll."

"God," Penny hissed quietly, face scrunched. She felt horrified at the mental image. "Why? Why did he deserve to die? Why did _she_ deserve to die? She was just a _child_."

A dangerous look contorted his pale face.

"He owed me something that was long overdue. I warned him of the consequences but he just kept _putting_ it off. Most people know better than to go back on a deal with me," his eyes darkened. "I warned him time and time again but after so long I lost my patience. I told him," he said slowly, "that I would kill every single person he _ever_ loved if he didn't get me what I wanted," his red lips quirked up. "The way I see it, he broke his promise. I didn't."

Penny's face twisted like she tasted something sour. She felt slightly faint but tried not to let it show, though she had a feeling he could smell the fear radiating off of her anyway. This was definitely above her pay grade.

She eyed the Joker out of the corner of her eye, watching silently as he swayed from left to right in the armchair as if he were dancing to a tune inside his own head.

"What about Harley?" she dared to ask.

"What about her?"

The question was airy enough but his voice wasn't as light as it had been. There was an edge to his words now that told Penny she was walking a thin line by broaching the subject. But she couldn't sate her curiosity. She just wanted to understand him. She tried arguing that everyone in Gotham wanted to understand the Joker but honestly she doubted anyone gave a damn. He was a schizophrenic sociopath; a first degree murderer with psychopathic tendencies. Most citizens only saw the world in two different ways: black or white. Good or evil. Most psychologists and criminologists wet themselves to pick the brains of notorious serial killers and the like but he ranked so far on the dark end of the spectrum that not even they were willing to stick their necks out and make the attempt. So what did that say about her?

"Don't you love her?" she asked. She felt that it was a valid question. At first glance it was easy to assume that the Joker and Harley Quinn were two crazy halves made whole.

Mister J was silent for a moment.

"She's something to amuse me and warm my bed. Can't complain," he smirked. "She's a feisty little thing."

"I don't think that's it," Penny countered bravely. She was able to see through the ruse and she felt obligated to call him out on it. She refused to believe that he didn't feel anything even remotely akin to fondness for the blonde. "You're going through all this trouble to find her. Doesn't sound like something you'd do for an _amusement_ to me."

Mister J's eyes began to narrow in her direction. If Penny didn't know any better she'd say she backed him into a corner. Her satisfaction was very short-lived though as she finally began to worry about the consequences of doing so. His eyes squinted into slits, glaring across from her until suddenly the look went away as if it'd never been there. A large grin stretched across his face and he waggled a finger at her.

"You're good," he laughed, a cold sound that made Penny want to jump out of her own skin, and shook his head. He continued waggling the finger at her. "I must say, you _are_ good. But here's somethin' to think about, Pennywise," his grin faded into something more ominous and sinister, "the last woman who tried to psychoanalyze me ended up falling in love with me."

Penny's cheeks tinted pink, realizing that she'd been doing just that.

Psychoanalyzing, anyway.

She couldn't imagine the lack of sanity one had to possess in order to fall in love with a man so lost and deranged. But she knew the story of how the Joker and Harley Quinn came to be. Everyone in Gotham did. Harley, or Harleen as she was once known, was the Joker's psychiatrist when he was locked up in _Arkham Asylum_. Many suspected he'd placed Harleen under some sort of spell or trance, though just thinking about it made Penny feel ridiculous. There were more logical reasons than that. Stockholm Syndrome, for instance. Not that anything in the stories suggested she went with him unwillingly, but those parts could've been left out. Again with the media romanticizing a potentially dark situation. But it wasn't uncommon for a doctor to fall in love with their patient. It wasn't hard for Penny to accept the concept even if she didn't know the semantics.

"That's… not what I'm trying to do," Penny attempted to rectify herself. Mister J gave her a mirthful stare.

"It wasn't what she'd been trying to do either," he countered simply.

There was a pause as his dark eyes considered her before he pushed himself out of the armchair. Penny tensed for a moment, a move he obviously noticed if the faint smirk on his lips was anything to go by, before he slinked towards her like a snake stalking its prey. She pressed herself back into the cushions of the couch, jaw clenching as he bent over her and rested his arms on either side of her head. He was so close she could feel the light puffs of air as he exhaled from his nose. She felt caged in.

"It was almost too easy," he rasped in a whisper as if telling her some delicious secret. "She did everything I wanted her to. Some sweet words," his teeth glinted as he grinned, "a few innocent touches," his thumb caressed her shoulder as she flinched, "she was putty in my hands that I could mold and shape into whatever I wanted," he twisted his finger through one of her curls. "She was so pure and so curious. She wanted to know how I ticked. She wanted to know what danger felt like," he leaned closer to her and Penny angled her head as far away from him as she could. Her palms felt sweaty as she clenched and unclenched her fists in her lap. "What it tasted like," his breath was on her lips and she slammed her eyes shut, trembling. She could hear the grin in his voice as his lips curled around the words, "Sound familiar?"

Her eyes opened wide. All she could see were his red-rimmed blue eyes surrounded by dark charcoal. She couldn't tell if she put the blackness there himself or if it was real skin discoloration.

Penny's breath was uneven as she blinked, trying to keep her fear at bay as she held the gaze as steadily as she could muster. He lowered his head a bit, eyes remaining on hers as if testing her will power to hold the gaze. Her mind felt foggy and she couldn't tell if it was from their close proximity or the sharp aroma of musk that radiated from his every pore. For some reason she didn't expect him to wear cologne. The way he dressed, so crisp and pristine with gold jewelry that probably cost more than her apartment, said she shouldn't have been too surprised. Idly she wondered which cologne he used. What brand would a psychopath choose? One as intoxicating as the one she smelled on him would lure anyone into a trap.

His lips turned downward in a pout, though she didn't know what for. Then in a flash he had a finger pointed at her. The sudden movement caused her to jump and she disconnected their eyes to stare at the digit almost cross-eyed.

"You, my dear," he droned, head tilting, "need to learn when to stop asking questions."

He waggled the finger mockingly.

"One day they might just getcha hurt."

Mister J pushed away from her and she released a shaky breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. He strolled around the room, finger tapping his chin as he eyed the trinkets and novels that rested on her bookshelf. He rolled his shoulders like he was trying to stretch out a sore muscle and the action made Penny feel anxious.

"This is a nice apartment," he noted, voice amicable again like the past five minutes never happened. "Kind of small but," he shrugged, "homey."

Penny remembered she was still pressing herself back into the couch and she relaxed a bit, feeling the cushion straighten her spine. He lifted a metal skull off one of the shelves. It had two sapphires for eyes and a bit more weight to it than you'd expect considering she found it at a Goodwill. It added a touch of personality to the room which was why she kept it out in the open. Mostly she just used it for a book holder or paper weight but it made for interesting décor. She watched as Mister J held the skull in front of his face and she realized how oddly fitting the item was for him. His eyes were as blue as sapphires and his skin was light and ethereal much like the skull itself.

"Um, thanks."

He turned around at her tone, blue eyes sparkling like the gems on the item.

"Are you afraid of me?" he asked, highly entertained by the thought and far too pleased for Penny's comfort.

She hated that he was so unpredictable but at the same time it was obvious all of his moves, everything he said, was planned. Maybe she just hated that he was so unpredictable to her.

Although Penny hadn't been around Mister J long, she could tell that he was in full control of his mentality. Whether that mentality was fully balanced was another story, but still. He knew what he was doing. He was probably quite smart. How else could he manage to keep himself so under wraps while being Gotham's public enemy number one?

"Yes," Penny finally answered him. She wanted to say no and pretend to be brave but she knew she wouldn't be able to pull it off. And she doubted he'd believe her because really. Everyone was afraid of him.

He flashed her a large smile with all teeth and tossed the skull in his hand like a softball.

"Good."

A knock on the door caused her to startle in her seat and she whipped around to face it, wondering who'd be visiting this late at night. She jumped when the knock sounded again not three seconds later and spun back around. Mister J was eyeing the door intently and when her eyes landed on his form, he looked down at her. His shoulders relaxed and she couldn't tell if he was attempting to appear casual just to please her or not.

"It seems you have company," he said.

Penny felt a little nervous. Surely someone knew by now that she was associating with the Joker. As secretive as he could be she knew for a fact she didn't have the same skillset or luck. A handful of people saw her get into his SUV yesterday. Someone had to have seen him enter her building today. It wouldn't have been hard to connect the dots.

She bit the inside of her cheek, picturing an entire S.W.A.T. team crouched defensively outside her apartment with guns trained on her door. Rationally she knew they probably wouldn't have knocked had that been the case. Irrationally she thought they would've wanted to make their visit a surprise. Kicking down the door was what she'd expect.

"Don't wanna answer it?" Mister J mocked in a soft, sing-song voice.

It could've been worse than a S.W.A.T. team. An enemy of Mister J's might've gotten the wrong idea and incorrectly assumed she was valuable to him in some way and forged an insane plan to kidnap her for ransom. And then she jerked upright at the realization that she wasn't too scared because she already had Mister J in the room. Even after such a short amount of time she knew that he always kept a gun holster strapped to his chest and a knife tucked in his sleeve. Even though she wasn't armed, he was.

The thought that she actually felt more or less safe in the maniac's presence (when it came to outside threats anyway–she knew he was technically still a threat to her) caused her to jolt upright and march towards the door with a purpose. How had she gotten so _stupid?_ The last thing he should've done was made her feel safe in _any_ sort of context.

Without looking through the peephole Penny unlocked the door and thrust it open.

"Oh Penny thank god," her neighbor Julie gasped. Penny blinked at the underwhelming turn of events.

Her and Julie were actually pretty good friends. They'd gone to lunch a few times and spent a few nights at each other's apartments when their places needed to be fumigated or have the carpets cleaned. She'd come to enjoy the girl's company but right now she couldn't imagine who she'd want to see less than her.

"I was freaking out because I lost the key to my apartment and my roommate isn't home. I tried calling one of the staff but then I realized how late it was and I kept feeling like someone was watching me from down the hall so I thought mayb…"

The girl's voice trailed off, color draining from her face as she stared wide-eyed over Penny's shoulder. Penny closed her eyes for a moment, praying to any Gods above that might hear her to just smite the man standing behind her. A good lightning strike would be plenty.

She glanced carefully over her shoulder, giving the Joker a hard stare as he leaned against the wall behind her, staring at the girl coldly. The only thing that gave away his amusement was the small quirk of his lips that only Penny seemed to notice. She sighed tiredly before turning back to the girl who was opening and closing her mouth, looking for all intents and purposes absolutely petrified.

"Y-you… you…"

"Julie I need you to listen to me," Penny tried to gently coax her.

"H-he… he's the… t-the…"

"I know who he is, Julie," Penny soothed, hands held up to pacify the girl.

"I don't… why are you… h-he's going t-to—"

"Julie, maybe you should come inside," Penny suggested carefully. Julie's eyes, if possible, seemed to widen even more. "He's not going to hurt you Julie and neither am I, okay? I _promise_."

She narrowed her eyes at Mister J who hadn't taken his eyes off the girl. Clearly he was putting her in a state which was not helping Penny's case at all.

"Actually I was just leaving," he finally said, voice scratchier and deeper than usual.

Julie visibly shuddered and took a step back. Penny absently reached forward to take the girl's arm. She couldn't risk her running to the authorities.

Mister J smirked down at the girl before moving forward. He paused at Penny's side and slowly turned his head towards her. His blue eyes flashed and before she could register the move or try to pull away he leaned in and planted a hard kiss on the side of her forehead. Rather than a public display of affection Julie probably took it as, Penny was able to detect the hidden threat within it. It was a promise that he'd be back. And as he proved earlier, he always kept his promises.

She got another whiff of his cologne when he moved closer and she closed her eyes.

"I'll see you around, dollface. Thanks for the disc."

Julie was literally trembling in Penny's grasp and the girl gave him a wide birth as he slithered around Penny's form, brushing up against her much more than was necessary. It was a small doorway but it wasn't that small. Penny's teeth were sore from the way she gritted them as she watched him glide past the girl who looked about two seconds away from losing it. 'It' could have been her cool or possibly even her consciousness.

When he was halfway down the hall, he glanced over his shoulder and winked at Penny before disappearing completely from sight.

Julie rounded on her.

"What the _hell_ are you doing with the _Joker?!_ " she squeaked quietly, voice reaching such a high octave that Penny almost couldn't hear her. "Do you have a _death wish_ or something? Did he break into your apartment?" she glanced up and down the hall again in paranoia.

Penny unceremoniously pulled the girl into her apartment and slammed the door behind her.

"Julie, I need you to not say anything to anyone at _all_ ," Penny told her seriously, gripping her shoulders. " _Please._ "

"Is he making you do weird _shit_ with him?"

" _No,_ Julie! God no," Penny cringed, her cheeks tinting pink.

"Did he threaten you? Are you doing something for him?"

Penny tilted her head. "More or less," she conceded reluctantly. Julie opened her mouth to say more but Penny quickly beat her to it. "The less you know the better, okay? Just please don't go to the cops. If you do we'll both be in trouble. He'll know it was you, Julie," she begged. "He'll _know_."

"Jesus Christ," Julie ran her fingers through her hair wildly. Her eyes were wide and her skin looked ashen.

Penny clutched her shoulders tighter. "I can handle it, okay?"

"This is the _Joker_ , Penny," Julie exclaimed. "He's not _easy_ to handle!"

"Well I don't really have a choice, do I?" Penny retorted angrily. She was losing her patience and she didn't have the will power to defend herself without giving too much away. The last thing she wanted to do was put Julie in danger because of her recklessness. "Just… don't worry about it."

"If there's only one wall separating me and the Clown Prince of Crime then I'm _going_ to worry!" Julie said loudly. Penny went to warn her again but Julie shook her head, eyes closed in frustration. "I'm not going to call the cops, alright? Just… you need to be careful," her eyes pleaded with Penny's. Penny swallowed. "I don't know how you got into this mess but just… try to get out of it as soon as you can before anything happens. Luck doesn't exactly follow this guy around. He's only going to be bad for you."

Penny almost couldn't stop herself from snorting. Didn't she know it.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Penny assured her, releasing the girl's shoulders. She slumped against the wall tiredly. "Trust me, Jules. I have _no_ intention of keeping ties with him after all of this is over. You can count on that."

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 **Thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows! They're all super appreciated and I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this so far. I'm having so much fun writing it. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter if you can!**

 **FandomGrl394 , Kate, Guest, ****Love Fiction 2016 : thank you guys! I appreciate it and glad you (Kate) think everyone's in character. The Joker is a tricky man to write. mun3litKnight: yeah Penny definitely has it rough right now and I think you'll come to realize she's a terrible spy haha. inperfection: yes Mister J is quite the starer. His favorite thing so far is seeing Penny squirm. Typical. And I'm so happy to hear what you had to say about Frost! I'm hoping to incorporate him more into the story as sort of an ally for Penny if you will. It's like you said, he's not really doing anything at all which is something Penny can appreciate.**


	4. This Is the Fun Part

**I was going to wait another day or two to post this chapter but considering what day it is—HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**

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 **Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the DC Universe nor any recognizable storylines from _Suicide Squad_. I only own my character(s) and the plot of this story. This is rated T for language, possible gore and violence, and mature scenes.**

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 **4\. THIS IS THE FUN PART, PENNYWISE**

Penny felt anxious waking up the next morning.

She half-expected to see Mister J lounging on her armchair when she walked out of her bedroom at the ungodly hour of 6am. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found both the chair and couch empty. If it weren't for the half-full glass of apple juice on her end table and the missing disc from her purse, she'd almost be able to convince herself it was all just a vivid nightmare. Unfortunately, the run-in with her neighbor was all too fresh on her mind.

Julie ended up staying with her almost an hour after Mister J left before she heard her roommate come home close to midnight. She practically bolted for the door and Penny felt upset because it was clear the girl was uncomfortable being around her now that she knew what kind of company she kept. They hardly exchanged two sentences after Julie confronted her, leaving the apartment filled with thick tension and discomfort until she left. It was another thing Penny resented the green-haired man for aside from all the other inner turmoil he's caused her the past couple of days.

She still worried about her company tracing the copied files back to her but even that was slowly being pushed to the back of her mind. It was like her brain was gradually filling up with more and more things to worry about that she was beginning to lose room for it all. Eventually all of it would start spilling out her ears.

Another thing that had really changed was the fact that she didn't want to leave her apartment. As it was Saturday, she typically found things to do outside her home because as much as she liked relaxing, she also hated being cooped up inside for long periods of time. But now that the situation with Mister J had more or less taken over her life, she was paranoid and skittish. She went for a morning jog not long after she woke up, something she usually only did to clear her head, and it worked until she got back home an hour later and everything came crawling back as if it'd been waiting eagerly to greet her at her doorstep. _Hello, I'm still here and all this shit still exists!_

For the duration of the day she rotated between watching reruns of the _Big Bang Theory_ on TV and reading, periodically checking the deadbolt and chain on her door to make sure they were still in place. It wasn't uncommon to feel nervous about break-ins especially in the heart of Gotham City but over the years she'd grown used to the city's infamous crime rate which, in all actuality, had gone down ever since Batman unofficially announced himself as Gotham's protector.

Even though Penny didn't have a gun (a stupid fact, really, she'd have to read up on that one) she did have pepper spray that she finally retrieved from her car. So at least if someone did break in, she'd hopefully have three or four seconds of pure nerve to try and blind them.

Unless that person was Mister J.

As fleetingly amusing as it was to imagine him getting attacked by a small girl with pepper spray, she knew better than to actually act on it. She was too afraid to think of all the twisted, sadistic ways he'd make her pay for it.

As all these thoughts continuously crowded her mind, she somehow managed to make it through the day in one piece. By the time six o'clock rolled around and she'd officially been awake for twelve hours, her shoulders relaxed a bit. Maybe he was letting her off today. Or maybe he just didn't need her. She wondered if he and Frost were going over the research files on the disc. Then she scolded herself for even thinking about it in the first place.

The familiar tune of the TBS show's theme song played silently in the background with credits rolling as she heated up a leftover meal in the microwave. Its contents were questionable (she had no idea how long it'd been in her fridge or even what type of food it was) but she hardly ate anything all day and her stomach was reasonably angry at her for it.

She idly flipped through a magazine on her counter as she waited. It was for some cosmetic line she was subscribed to that came in the mail once a month. She rarely looked through them; she hardly wore make-up at all and suspected a peppy cashier cornered her one day a few years ago and convinced her to give them her address. She probably could've cancelled her subscription a long time ago but she was just too lazy. Every once in a while when she saw the magazine buried between her electric and water bills she told herself she'd keep it to read for later. She never did. She probably had a collection of magazines from them stashed away somewhere with products they no longer sold.

A high-pitched noise filled the empty air. Penny jumped, her brain initially jumping to the conclusion that it was the microwave beeping. But once the noise continued she recognized it to be her phone. With furrowed brows she walked over to where she had it plugged into its charger by the sink. Gazing down at the phone as it lit up, she was unsurprised to find that it was a number she didn't recognize.

She bit the inside of her cheek, contemplating on whether or not she should answer it. More often than not numbers not plugged into her phone belonged to telemarketers asking her to participate in a survey that could _possibly_ win her a cruise to the Caribbean.

Feeling particularly snarky, she hit the green accept button and pulled the phone up to her ear. She was ready for anything this minimally-waged, faceless person had to offer.

"Hello?"

" _Evening, dollface._ "

 _That_ she wasn't ready for.

She was so unprepared that she pulled the phone away from her ear for a split second to stare incredulously at it. How had he gotten her number?

"Um… hi," she replied dumbly. She glanced at the clock on her stove. 6:12pm. "It's late," she stated, sounding equally dumb.

" _I'm aware, Pennywise, but thank you for enlightening me anyway,_ " came his crackled, slightly sarcastic response. His voice sounded even lower over the phone and the fact that she couldn't see his face made it seem all the more ominous. " _Hope you don't have any plans 'cause I'm inserting myself into your schedule. Among other things if you're up for it a bit later._ "

She could sense the sharp mocking in his tone from a mile away and she didn't appreciate it.

"What are we doing?" she asked warily, ignoring the _beep_ on her microwave as her food finished reheating.

" _Meet me at_ Il Capriccio _in half an hour. Dress… nicely,_ " she could almost hear the airy flutter of his wrist.

"I'm… sorry?" Penny frowned deeply, sputtering slightly. _Il Capriccio_ was an upscale restaurant on the pricey end of the spectrum she couldn't touch even if she wanted to. Why on Earth did he want to meet her _there?_

" _Keep your panties on, dollface, this is strictly business. If you wanna negotiate that afterwards though then I won't complain,_ " there was a smirk in his voice that irked Penny more than she cared to admit. " _Remember, half an hour._ "

"How am I supposed to get dressed and drive there in thirty minutes? The drive itself is that long!" Penny exclaimed. Her heart was hammering inside her chest. What did he mean by dress _nicely?_ What was his definition of nice in comparison to hers? What kind of business was it that required a discussion over expensive pasta and red wine?

" _Find a way,_ " Mister J retorted, his voice losing its humor. " _We'll be at a table inside. Just give the valet my name and he'll take care of the rest._ "

"But—"

A dull beep sounded before she heard nothing and she yanked the phone back with a light snarl, feeling immensely put-off and anxious. Her day was so close to being over. _So_ close.

And did he say valet?

This was completely out of her comfort zone. Penny didn't do nice restaurants. She didn't do nice outfits. At least, not the kind of nice she had a feeling he was talking about. Not to mention the fact that she was going to be seen in public with this _nice_ outfit in this _nice_ restaurant in the company of Gotham's most notorious villain. What if someone recognized her?

 _Highly unlikely,_ she digressed as she scrambled to her bedroom closet, flinging clothes hangers aside to find something suitable to wear. _Most of the people I know only eat at Panda Express and Steak 'N Shake._

Nearly fifteen minutes later Penny found herself tripping out her front door hopping on one foot as she attempted to fasten the buckle on her stilettos—which were technically not considered stilettos at all because the heel barely stood three inches off the ground—whilst pulling the door shut and trying to keep her purse strap over her shoulder.

She drove to the restaurant as quickly as she could. She was a bit more reckless than usual, jumping across lanes of traffic at the last second without signaling. She didn't stop for a red light when turning right, thankfully in an area that didn't have cameras, but she pissed the people across from her turning left off quite a bit. Never before had she driven in front of a cacophony of honking horns and men with their arms tossed out the windows with colorful hand gestures. A couple days, weeks, or even months down the road she'd probably feel embarrassed about the memory.

She pulled into the restaurant's parking lot eighteen minutes after speeding out of her parking garage. She was three minutes late, something she sincerely hoped Mister J would overlook.

She stumbled out of her car with all the grace and elegance of a spider on a hot plate. As expected, the valet gave her old silver sedan an odd look. She could tell he wanted to comment on it, maybe ask if she was at the wrong place, and on any other day she would've been offended by his scrutiny but today she just didn't have time for it. She handed him her car keys the second he approached her.

"I'm here for Mister J," she told him breathlessly. Her purse fell off her shoulder and she quickly jerked it back up, displaying a tight smile. The man gave her disheveled appearance a queer look despite the quick surprise on his face at the mention of the clown.

"Right," he said, clearing his throat. He gestured towards a taller man standing near the podium with his arms crossed behind his back. He occasionally pulled the door open for entering guests. "Let him know and he'll point you in the right direction."

"Thanks," Penny hurried over to the doorman, smoothing down her slightly frizzy hair. She didn't miss the way the valet eyed her sedan in distaste before stepping inside and she inwardly scowled. It's not like she had rats living in there! The doorman raised his eyebrows in question at the expectant look she had on her face upon reaching him. "Um, I'm here to see Mister J?"

"Ah," he nodded. He motioned with a white-gloved hand. "Once you get inside, take a left past the wine racks. He's seated in the middle row halfway down the room. We're a bit busy tonight otherwise a hostess would lead you to him."

Penny thanked him, ducking through the door when he opened it for her. She blinked at the hustle and bustle of the restaurant upon entering but despite the loudness it looked quite cozy. The lights were dim but not to such a degree that you needed to squint and there was a soft aroma of marinara sauce on the air that had her stomach growling. She patted down her knee-length navy blue dress, idly hoping that her attire was appropriate. She'd only worn it once to a job interview. She figured it was a good choice considering she got the job.

After licking her lips she turned left as instructed, gazing in awe at the large wall of wine bottles that littered the front room. When she past them, she was greeted with a long dining hall of white-clothed tables with candlesticks in their centers surrounded by wine glasses. She spotted the vibrant green hair almost immediately and made her trek across the room, winding between tables to reach his. She recognized Frost sitting on his left but the other men at the table she'd never seen before. The nerves in her gut tightened and she swallowed hard. She hoped this went well.

She timidly approached the table. Mister J was of course the first to notice her and his silver teeth glinted in the flickering flame of the candle, mouth stretched wide into a smile.

"There she is," he announced, capturing the rest of the table's attention. He was clad in a shimmering gold suit jacket that seemed to sparkle in the natural light of the candle with a black dress shirt underneath. He gestured to the empty seat on his right. "Have a seat. I want to introduce you to some friends of mine."

Penny felt uncomfortable at the unfamiliar eyes watching her as she maneuvered around the occupied chairs. Mister J pulled the chair out for her without standing from his spot, watching her with an odd glint in his blue eyes. Penny gave him a brief smile and tucked her dress under her legs before sitting carefully. The man sitting to her right had a stiff leer on his face and she couldn't help but wish Frost was sitting there instead. At least he didn't make her skin crawl.

Mister J took a generous sip of his white wine, eyes raking over her form as she tucked her purse securely on the chair behind her.

"I must say, Pennywise, that dress is very becoming on you," he commented, pouring her a glass of wine from an expensive looking bottle. Penny could almost hear the hidden innuendo and she wanted to glare but she bit her tongue.

"Thank you," she answered mildly.

"Let's go around the table then, shall we?" Mister J started, voice peppy and light. He clapped his hands, gold rings glistening. He motioned to the man to her right first. "We've got mister Panda Man here. You'll get used to the names, Pennywise. They've got these colorful masks that just _light_ up a room," Penny gave 'Panda Man' a terse half-smile. He simply nodded once. "Next to him's Batsy. He plays nice," Mister J winked at the broad-shouldered man. Penny raised her eyebrows at the alias, obviously recognizing it was a play on Batman.

She forgot sometimes that the green-haired man sitting next to her was the same man, same villain, who rivaled Gotham's protector. She could only imagine the loathing had gotten worse ever since the hero captured Harley.

"Then there's Charlie," Penny frowned at the average name. A blonde-haired man tilted his head next to Batsy. "You remember Charlie the Unicorn, right, Pennywise?" It was then that she understood. 'Charlie' must've worn a unicorn mask. "And you've met Frost," Penny managed a slight grin in the man's direction and Frost's tight lips curved up a fraction. Mister J then theatrically waved both hands at her. "This is Pennywise. As you know she's been _so_ generous in helping us learn more about our favorite scientist."

"Just Penny's fine," she murmured, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He ignored her.

"Now that we're all acquainted…" he trailed off at the sight of an approaching waitress who looked like she wanted a hole to open up beneath her and swallow her whole. Her hands were shaking as she held a delicate leather notepad, ready to take orders.

"I-I'm sorry, are you not ready yet? I can go—" she looked too eager to scamper away but Mister J held up a finger, ceasing her rambling.

"We'll order now."

Penny hadn't even been offered a menu. Either everyone had already glanced over theirs prior to her arrival or they came so often they had their orders memorized because one by one their chosen meals were listed off in clipped, firm tones. Mister J took it upon himself to order for Penny when she opened her mouth to ask the woman to just suggest something for her. All the meals were given Italian names so Penny didn't have a clue what she was going to be eating and the waitress all but scattered from the table the minute Mister J dismissed her before Penny could ask.

The table was eerily silent after that. Mister J appeared invested in his glass of wine and Penny had yet to taste hers. She was afraid that if she reached across to take her glass she would attract too much attention to herself which was the last thing she wanted. Her curiosity was reaching its breaking point, though. She still had no idea what she was doing there; why she was needed. She didn't want to ask but at the same time she felt if she didn't, no one would tell her.

"Um," Penny cleared her throat. Mister J downed the rest of his wine, not acknowledging that he'd heard her. "What are we doing here… exactly?"

It was like her question had fallen on deaf ears.

There was a sound, some sort of low beeping coming from a phone or pager, before Frost leaned in close to the Joker. Since Penny was sitting on his other side she was able to hear the man's hushed words.

"He's going to the casino afterward," Frost informed him. Mister J hummed and Penny's brows pulled even tighter together. Who was going to the casino?

Mister J nodded a bit before his blue eyes slid over to Penny's stiff, confused form. He grinned slightly, red-stained mouth pulling up the side of his cheeks. He nudged her with his free hand before pointing across the restaurant. Penny tried following the direction but it was hard since the place was already so close to bursting.

"He's our guy for the night," Mister J quipped discreetly. "Got a little somethin' to talk to him about. We're gonna be one step closer. Figured we'd take the opportunity to enjoy a nice meal while we waited. Do you like angel hair pasta, Pennywise?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, that's fine," she agreed absently. She glanced over at Frost and then back to where she assumed Mister J had been pointing. She looked to Frost again. "How did you know he was going to be here?"

Mister J considered her for a moment, red lips pouted in a contemplative stare that unnerved her. It was gone as quickly as it came, though.

"Decoyed his phone," Mister J said passively. Penny's face scrunched up. You could do that? Mister J poured himself another glass of wine and winked at her this time, the J tattoo underneath his eye dancing on his skin. He nodded towards her untouched glass, face soft with amusement. "Not thirsty?"

He held his own glass up to his lips, unmoving as he watched her delicately take the glass. She studied him out of the corner of her eye before bringing the glass up, taking a dainty sip. He followed suit, eyes still glued to her face. The wine was sweet on her tongue and slightly cool. She was more of a red wine type of person, preferring the bitter dryness of it to the sweetness of white wine but she certainly wasn't going to complain. A false positive hum emitted from the back of her throat and she sat the glass back down on the clothed table. His grin widened and he took another drink.

It was probably one of the most uncomfortable meals she had ever experienced. For the most part it remained silent, the Joker's henchmen (is that what they were called?) taking their time eating their respective dinners while Mister J conversed quietly with Frost in between bites. Penny was left ignored, a fact she wasn't upset about. It gave her a chance to watch the men surrounding her. She wasn't a very observant person; she didn't really know what to look for but she discovered each man had a distinctive personality.

She found that Panda Man had a cold stare no matter where he directed it. It was a wild card whether he was actually enjoying his food. Batsy sat straight in his chair, shoulders squared. She couldn't tell if it was to make himself appear larger than he was or if good posture was just a habit of his. Charlie seemed the most relaxed, offering brief words to either Batsy or Frost after long periods of silence. There was a maniacal glint in his eye she often saw in Mister J's, especially when the blonde peered around the candlelight to give her a slight grin. It didn't make her uncomfortable but she didn't necessarily like it either.

Her meal ended up being some angel hair pasta dish with decorative greens and light sauce. It tasted good for the most part, though she had a feeling she would've enjoyed it more had the atmosphere been lighter. Mister J asked her once if she liked her dinner. She nodded wordlessly and he seemed satisfied. Whether it was because he bought it or he was pleased she was catering to him, she didn't know.

A man stood with a group of friends a few tables down when their meal came to an end and the last dish was taken by the waitress. Mister J eyed him like a hawk, jaw tense as his fingers flexed absently in midair like they were imagining the feeling of the man's neck squeezed between them, elbow rested on the table. They were downwind from the man hence the reason they weren't spotted. Mister J barred his teeth slightly, emitting a light hiss between them and Penny eyed him warily.

"Fun time's over," Mister J groused, tone gravely and serious. The men around the table straightened their spines aside from Batsy who was already sitting straight as a pen. "Let's go."

If Penny had any sort of manageable income she would've discreetly dropped a tip on the table for the poor waitress since Mister J didn't leave one. But since she hardly made enough to support herself she settled with giving the girl a sympathetic smile as they passed by her. She looked relieved that they were leaving and probably didn't care she didn't earn anything extra in return.

Multiple sets of eyes followed them on their way to the door. Most were watching Mister J cautiously, leaning in to whisper to the person closest to them. Mister J eyed them back evenly, his stare so intense that most recoiled or looked away. Penny briefly wondered if any of them would report his whereabouts to the authorities but considering the sharp gazes he was sending them, like he was memorizing their every feature, something told her they wouldn't try. They knew he'd remember them, that he'd come after them, because he always managed to escape. No place could keep him locked up for long.

They watched her too. Their faces were contorted in mixtures of mild disgust and intrigue. Who did they think she was? Probably another one of the Joker's toys, as if a woman didn't have any other use. She didn't let herself linger too long on those thoughts. She didn't want to know.

There was a black SUV waiting for them. It looked identical to the one Penny first rode in when Frost took her to Mister J's estate except this one was slightly larger. Penny slid into the middle alongside Batsy, squished between him and Frost as Mister J claimed the passenger seat. She didn't recognize the driver. Charlie and Panda Man sat in the row of seats behind her. Idle chatter filled the car, mostly Mister J keeping tabs on mystery man's whereabouts. Frost gave him routine updates, staring outside the car windows when he wasn't being spoken to.

The silence was starting to make Penny itch and she leaned towards Frost.

"What's going to happen to my car?" she asked quietly. Frost looked over at her.

"It'll be kept there until we return. They'll have your keys on hand."

Penny licked her lips, sparing a fleeting glance at the large man next to her. Mister J was talking with the driver and Charlie and Panda Man were eerily quiet behind them.

"What exactly are we doing again?" she asked Frost. He seemed fairly open to conversation despite his stony exterior.

"We've been tracking a security officer working for Waller," said Frost. "We decoyed his phone, found some videos he made of the boss's girl. He's been in close contact with the mission since it started and we want to know what he knows. Plus the boss is kind of pissed. She hasn't exactly been treated well by this guy."

Penny knew it was warranted to fear for this man's life.

"How did you know he was going to be at the restaurant? And the casino?"

"Text messages," replied Frost simply. Penny tilted her head. She hadn't considered that.

They didn't speak for a few minutes. Mister J was raising his voice a bit in the front seat, exchanging heated words with the driver but coming in halfway through a conversation meant Penny didn't understand most of what was being discussed. She attempted to tune out the bickering, ignoring the way Mister J punched the dashboard with his fist.

"How did you get started in all of this?" Penny dared to ask the man. "Did—" she eyed the passenger seat nervously, "—did he pull you into this? Or… did you choose to join? I mean," she quickly amended herself. "I know it's none of my business, it's just. It's such a dangerous life. I don't understand how you get involved with it all."

"I wasn't exactly a saint before all this, kid," Frost told her, not remorseful but still weary. "I stole things. I was constantly on the run from the fuzz. I wasn't a good guy. I never really had much of a golden life."

Penny let this information sink in before asking, "How did you get so close to him?"

He eyed her wryly out of his peripherals. "Killed all the right people I suppose."

Penny squirmed in her seat, pulling absently at the hem of her dress. It hardly reached her knees from the way she was sitting. She chose not to comment on that and instead licked her lips, fingers fidgeting.

"Is Frost your first name?" she asked, finally turning back to him. He gave her an odd look. "I mean, is it really your birth name or is it just a nickname?" she clarified, feeling slightly chagrinned.

Frost cracked somewhat of a half-smile, amused with her reddening cheeks.

"My name's Jonny," he said, surprising her. "Frost is my last name."

"Jonny Frost," Penny remarked distractedly, gazing past him out the window at the passing scenery. The nightlife was bustling on the sidewalks. They must've been getting close. "It has a nice ring to it."

"That's what J said."

* * *

The casino was packed. Music played in through speakers in the ceiling, something with a heavy base Penny could feel in her gut, but the chatter was so loud it made the song unrecognizable. People were yelling around black jack tables, others were chanting at the slot machines. Men in black vests made the rounds down each aisle offering miscellaneous hard liquor. Penny had never actually been inside a casino before. There were so many sounds—bells ringing, slots grinding, cheering. It was exactly the type of place she didn't like. It was too loud.

It was easy to get lost in the crowd so she tried hanging close to Charlie who seemed to be the only one paying half attention to her. He walked a bit slower to make sure she wouldn't get swallowed up by the crowd, eyes scanning the sea of bodies. Penny couldn't remember what the man looked like. She barely got a glimpse of him in the restaurant. All she knew was he had brown hair with a matching moustache and beard and a white suit jacket.

"Got him," a voice sounded from behind her. She turned to see Frost walking quickly with Mister J in tow. "At the bar."

Frost looked to Charlie and tilted his head. Charlie nodded, disappearing into the crowd. Mister J split from them, heading in the opposite direction with stiff shoulders. Penny looked to Frost for guidance but felt a tight grip on her upper arm. She whipped around to see Panda Man. He dragged her through the crowd behind Mister J.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, wincing at the pain in her bicep from his fingers digging into her flesh.

He ignored her, weaving her between bodies and around slot machines faster than she could keep up. It happened so fast that before she knew it, the talking and laughing and music was muffled behind a few layers of walls and she was in the back of what seemed to be the casino's kitchen. Her eyes widened at the sight of a man holding a knife so big it was practically a hatchet, blood stains decorating the blade above a fresh batch of raw meat. Penny cringed, covering her nose with the back of her hand as her eyes scanned the room. Along the wall to the left was more raw meat suspended on meat hooks and the iron scent of blood was almost too overwhelming for her to bear.

It was then that she noticed a few men were waiting for them, leaning against silver carts and slouched in metal chairs that sat around an equally silver table. She couldn't tell if they worked for Mister J or if they just agreed to help. She didn't like the leers on their faces, or the fact that the men with animal blood stained to their aprons looked like they wanted to eat the meat as it was.

Mister J was lingering in the back of the room away from the door, a certain skip in his step that she'd never seen before. He caught her eye and paused in his pacing to crook a finger at her. Penny's heart was thrumming in her chest in tune with the base she felt pulsating through the floor. She walked slowly across the room, giving the men with knives a wide birth. They watched her go, their stares so penetrating she could feel them on her back after she passed.

Mister J smoothed his hair back, spreading his legs to stand evenly as he swayed. There was a twisted sort of shadow to his features now that she knew had nothing to do with the lighting. He grinned wickedly at her, brandishing his hands at her.

"Now _this_ is the fun part, Pennywise," he breathed. His voice was huskier, deeper, than it usually was as if the thrill of the chase sent something primal coursing through his veins. Penny wrapped her arms around herself.

"Why am I here?" she asked slowly. The fact that the space between them was gradually lessening made her heart tremble because even through the haze of blood and toxins she could still smell the musk of his cologne seeping through the air.

Mister J stepped a foot closer to her, reaching forward to place his hands on her shoulders. His fingers were cold, but not as cold as the bands of his rings. It took a moment for her to comprehend that this was the first time he'd ever actually touched her. His skin was so cold it almost felt like his palms were on fire from the chill.

"You're here," he said in a song-sing whisper, fingers clenching, "to _watch_."

Her lips turned downward, brows pinching.

"Why?"

There was angry shuffling coming from the entrance to the kitchen, a man's voice shouting incredulously as he struggled. There was a harsh creaking of metal against a concrete floor as a chair was pulled out from the table, followed by a puff of air as the man exhaled heavily in irritation.

"What the _fuck_ , man?"

Something flashed in the Joker's eyes as they narrowed. He stepped into her space then, cradling her to his chest and her breathing stopped. She felt his lips graze her ear as he carefully turned her, maneuvering himself around her.

"Because I said so."

She still felt the ghost of his touch after he breezed by, fully focused on the man making a fuss across from Frost who strode into the room. She shuddered in a deep breath when he was about a foot away.

"The hell's your problem?" the man continued to gripe, flailing his arms. "What the fuck's going on?"

"I'd watch the language," Frost advised, unbothered by the man's attitude.

"What are you, my old man?" he scoffed. "Is this some kind of joke? Did Ian set this up?"

"I can assure you I have no idea who Ian is," Frost droned, voice tinted with faint mockery. "But a joke?" he hummed, smiling out of the corner of his mouth. It was a dry smile, something that caused the man's spine to stiffen. His head thrashed from left to right, recognition beginning to dawn on his face. The tough charade that once marred his features slowly melted off to reveal surprise and a hint of fear. "Wait, are you—?" he began to violently shake his head and whether it was because Frost's emotionless grin was subtly growing or he was finally beginning to understand the magnitude of the situation, Penny didn't know. "No. No, no, no, you've got it all wrong, man. You're barkin' up the wrong tree, man, c'mon…"

Frost flashed his white teeth. "I think not, _man_."

"You're crazy," his voice was edging on hysteric. Penny saw the muscle in his cheek begin to twitch. "This is crazy. He ain't here, is he?"

Mister J decided now was a good time to announce his presence. He crept up behind the man, hands waving at his sides. The large mouth seemed to physically laugh on his hand as his tendons flexed and moved.

"Blah, blah, blah…" Mister J drawled, bringing his arms forward to dig his fingertips into the man's shoulders. The man jumped, startled by the contact. Mister J's fingers rubbed along the muscles at the base of his neck before slapping his arms with a loud _smack_.

"Oh my god," the man uttered, words shaky.

"All that chit chat's gonna getcha hurt," Mister J warned, bending forward predatorily.

A growl emitted from deep within his throat, lip curling, as he slowly circled the man like a lion stalking a wounded hyena. The man recoiled, jerking back out of the clown's presence. Penny shuddered at the guttural sounds, clenching her arms tighter around herself. Mister J stood tall at his full height, regarding the man before him with his tongue in his cheek. He licked his lips slowly, pink tongue dancing along his bottom lip. He outstretched a hand then, displaying the large gem decorating his pinky finger.

The man stared up at him first, breathing labored, before his head tilted down to the offered hand. Even from where she stood, Penny knew his eyes were locked on the smiling mouth that seemed to laugh at his discomfort. With another cautious glance up at the Joker, he leaned forward and delicately kissed the ring.

Dense silence coated the room until Mister J grinned, silver teeth gleaming under the florescent lights. He slinked forward, draping his arms over the man's shoulders as he straddled his lap.

"I can tell you meant that," Mister J purred, stroking his pale fingers through the man's hair. Their noses nearly touched and the man stiffened, drawing in a deep breath. His hands flexed at his sides, unsure of what to do with them. Mister J cackled, a slow sound that resonated hauntingly within the room. He stroked the man's face, gliding his palms along the man's temple and into his hairline. "You're gonna be my friend," he declared thickly, eyes wide. "Tell me what you know."

His fingers skirted along the man's jaw, pressing into the corners of his mouth and pulling his lips up into a comical smile.

"Tell me," he repeated.

"She's… we moved her," the man stammered, his forehead damp with sweat. "She's going with the others. The other inmates. There's a… there's a mission," Mister J's nails dug into his cheek, pulling the flesh and leaving angry red marks in their wake, "downtown. They're gonna rendezvous at a base, somewhere off the beaten track. That's where they're takin' her."

Mister J hummed, tugging roughly at his scalp.

"What else?" he whispered, red lips tracing the man's cheekbone.

The man swallowed audibly, turning his head away. "The… t-there's these bombs. These nano bombs. I don't know much about 'em, just that they're about the size of a grain of rice. They're implantable explosives controlled by computer. They'll detonate at the press of a button. I don't know where they plan to put 'em or where they're getting 'em but each inmate's got a bomb with their name on it."

Penny's mouth opened a bit. So it was true. The prototype of the nano bullet she read about in Dr. Van Chris's research paper was real. She was disturbed by the concept, though it made sense. Dr. Van Chris had to have been in contact with Amanda Waller for months now, maybe even years. It wasn't hard to believe that the nano bullet was her idea, or at least loosely based off of something she wanted. Penny couldn't help but think of what time would do with the nano bullet; how the government would utilize it if it worked on Task Force X. She shuddered at the possibilities.

Mister J's dark blue eyes rolled over to Penny's form. "Oh, we got an idea alright. That'll be our doctor friend, Pennywise."

The man stretched his neck to try and see who Mister J was talking to but a pale hand yanked his head back around before he spotted her.

"Don't you worry," he assured the man lightly, gripping the back of the man's neck. Penny saw his fingers digging deep into the skin until the man yelped. "We'll take care of that. But you and I got a score to settle, hm?" he leaned in closer, mouth stretching wide into a smirk. "You like playin' games? I got a game for ya. You wanna hear it?" he chuckled deeply, tilting his head until his lips tickled the shell of the man's ear, enunciating slowly and cleanly in a soft voice. "It's called… touch her again and I will rip off every single finger you've ever laid on her with pliers and make you eat them."

The man noticeably gagged at the thought, fingers wiggling.

"Sound like fun?"

"I… I won't—you have my word, I won't…"

"Yeah," Mister J nodded, breathless grin on his face. "I know you won't. Frost," he called, not breaking eye contact with the man. "Would you mind escorting our new friend out? We've interrupted his night out long enough."

Mister J slid gracefully off his lap, pale hand lingering on his shoulder as he gazed down at him with lidded eyes. The second his hand dropped from his shoulder, the man jumped out of the seat, ignoring the hand Frost had extended in his direction. Frost watched the man go, peeking his head out the door. He shrugged a shoulder and turned to face Mister J who was breathing heavily, smoothing down his suit jacket with a snarl on his upper lip. He breathed in and out through his nose, shaking out the jitters in his hands. Penny watched him carefully, taking a quick step back in case his temper got the best of him.

Mister J rolled his head, stretching out his neck.

"Okay new plan," he announced roughly. His shoulders twitched. "Find out where the doc works. Bring the machine gun. I'm sure he's working overtime," he barred his teeth, tongue tracing the silver grill. "He deserves a visit."

"Wait," Penny interrupted, halting herself. She was momentarily stunned that she openly inserted herself into the conversation, eyes wide as saucers.

Mister J's head snapped towards her so quickly she almost wasn't able to catch the movement. His face was hard and unreadable, eyes beady and hooded. The other men in the room regarded her with narrowed eyes and her throat ran dry.

"You can't just go in guns blazing," she amended herself, quickly regaining her composure. Her fear towards Mister J had been quickly replaced with fear for the doctor's safety who, for all intents and purposes, was innocent. She didn't want the man to get hurt, especially if she was partially the cause for it. "Haven't you ever been in one of those labs before? They work with live ammunition on a daily basis, most of which is completely unstable and dangerous," she explained. "For the safety of the employees those labs are covered floor to ceiling in heavyweight plexiglass in the event of an unplanned explosion. They're practically bulletproof," she said in hopes that the information would somehow deter them.

Besides, what she was saying was entirely true. She'd not visited Dr. Van Chris's lab in particular but she'd visited similar ones in the past, all of which were built the same way. They all followed the same precautions regardless of their field of study because they were federal regulations. Attacking the lab with any type of artillery would be completely pointless.

Mister J mulled over her words, his features stony and unreadable. He looked away for a moment, tracing his lip with his finger before pointing the digit at Penny. His lips curved up on one side as he shook the finger at her.

" _Pennywise,_ " he sang, smiling appraisingly. "Pennywise, I knew you were a smart cookie."

Penny had a feeling she just made things catastrophically worse and her stomach dropped to the floor.

He laughed crudely, giving her a large smile before looking to Frost. "Find out who he's closest to. Get a hold of them. If we need an invitation," he said, grinning from ear to ear, "let's give him a reason for one."

Frost nodded, his eyes briefly flicking towards Penny's frozen form as if he knew what she'd done, before stalking out of the room with two unfamiliar men hot on his heels. Mister J's eyes slithered back to Penny's, a mischievous glint twinkling there. He opened his arms and inched toward her. Penny's feet were glued to the ground, her breathing uneven as he cupped her face gently in his hands.

"Pennywise," he purred and she blinked quickly. Her fists were squeezing at her sides. "You did so _good_ , dollface."

"I…" she shook her head. "I didn't…" she had no idea what she was trying to say.

"You did," he countered, thumbs stroking along the dip beneath her cheekbones. His hands were so _cold_. "I knew there was a reason I kept you around. Let's go home," he licked his lips. "I think it's safe to say you've earned yourself a glass of grape soda."

* * *

 **I thought I'd go ahead and post this chapter early because of the holiday. Hope everyone has/had a fun and safe Halloween! Thank you for the continued support this story continues to get. It still amazes me.**

 **inperfection : omg never apologize for long reviews! I absolutely love them! Thank you so much for this. Yes J's attitude around her is quite interesting and it's only going to get more interesting as the story progresses. Plus you're right it is fun thinking about all the little things like the apple juice mystery. And you had me laughing at the image of him quickly running to the armchair when she was waking up haha. ****mun3litKnight : thanks! I'm glad it seems so far-fetched to have a relationship develop between them, more or less, because of how Penny reacts to him. That means I'm doing my job! Anna: I appreciate your comment. FrostxPenny would be interesting and I can see how you would come to that conclusion. I've already decided it's going to be JokerxOC but not in the traditional sense. Hope you'll stick around nonetheless! Anonymous: yay thank you! lovelybone: wow thanks so much! I was hoping to make it original, but I'll be honest I don't really know what the other JokerxOC stories are like. I'm too invested in mine to read them but I definitely think I should! I know there are tons of great writers on this site. And lastly, I actually picture Rose McIver when I think of Penny!**


	5. You Don't See Me

**Warnings for this chapter: Slight violence and gore.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the DC Universe nor any recognizable storylines from _Suicide Squad_. I only own my character(s) and the plot of this story. This is rated T for language, possible gore and violence, and mature scenes.**

* * *

 **5\. YOU DON'T SEE ME**

Penny's mind felt foggy on the way to Mister J's place.

Not foggy in the sense that she wasn't thinking clearly, but more so in the sense that she was thinking too clearly. There was too much going on inside her head that she didn't have the ability to keep up with it all.

For starters, the guilt was weighing heavy on her heart. Not only was Dr. Van Chris in trouble, so was a wife or a child or some other family member or friend of his. Technically the doctor already had a target on his back, but Penny only succeeded in making the target even bigger with flashing neon lights to boot. And according to Mister J, she was going to be the one to thank for the poor innocent soul that was currently being searched for by Frost and Panda Man.

One could argue that none of this was really her fault—she was being held against her will and forced to help. Granted, she wasn't exactly being abused in any sort of way (that she knew of) or treated harshly, but it wasn't exactly her choice. Even still, she couldn't help but take responsibility for the doctor's fate. She could only hope that he'd cooperate, that he'd know better than to try and fight back, and both him and whoever Frost managed to find would come out alright after it was all over.

But that wasn't all that was nagging at her. The more time she spent with Mister J, the more she started to learn about him. For instance, upon first meeting with him at the club nearly a week ago, he was both hostile and playful. Two things she already knew he was. Then as the days progressed, she saw more of the teasing and sharper, wittier, side of him. He wasn't directly mean—some could argue he was probably quite pleasant—but there was an underlying sense of threat there that told her he could snap if at any time she managed to anger him or get on his nerves. Again, it wasn't surprising.

Penny knew enough about psychology to know a master manipulator when she saw one. Had she been much more naïve, she maybe would've thought he was an amicable person despite his flaws. But she saw the looks he gave her, the way he stared so deeply like he was trying to unravel her like a present. He was studying her, learning her strengths and weaknesses and filing them away for future reference if he ever needed to use them against her. It was both intimidating and fascinating.

But when she did something to please him, like tonight for example when she inadvertently gave him the idea to search for someone close to the doctor, his personality pulled a complete 180. His exterior softened a bit. It was almost scarier than the way he usually acted. He cooed at her, touched her face, praised her and even offered a reward. It threw her off a bit, sure, but she knew better than to fall for it. Even if he was doing it unintentionally (which she didn't think he was but he was so far gone it was entirely possible), it was still part of his manipulation. Scientists and psychologists had been studying operant conditioning for decades, both with positive and negative reinforcement. She just so happened to be experiencing the positive at the moment.

If it ever came to it, he'd use that against her too.

They pulled up to the estate's grand driveway behind a few other parked cars, ones that most likely belonged to his henchmen. Frost held the door open for her like last time and she gave him a small appreciative smile.

Mister J stepped aside to converse quietly with them, but it only took a couple of seconds before he was shooing them away. Penny was hanging off to the side a bit, feeling awkward and on edge. As the cars began to pull out of the driveway, Mister J motioned her forward with a bejeweled hand.

"C'mon, Pennywise. Let's get that drink."

Penny followed a few paces behind as he let them into the garage. They weaved through the cars to the sliding glass door and he pulled it open, allowing her to step inside first with a melodramatic bow. She thanked him quietly, taking in the familiar sight of his lavish house. It looked the same as it did the last time she was there, all white furniture and noticeably clean. She heard him close the door behind her and as he passed by her she saw he was removing his golden suit jacket.

She was left with the realization that, once again, they were alone. Except this time Frost wasn't just outside the house. They were the only ones on the property.

She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, clutching her purse underneath them. Mister J tossed his suit jacket on the back of the couch, slipping out of his shoes before making his way into the kitchen. He flipped on the lights and dug through his cabinets for two tall glasses. She watched him from where she stood by the door, the distinctive shape of his prominent shoulder blades pressing against his tight black shirt. He really was very lean. When he turned to the island to pour the fizzing purple liquid into each glass, she got an eyeful of his chest. It was defined, the muscles curved and sharp like they'd been carved out of marble. His skin was about as pale as marble, seeming even lighter against the dark tattoos that decorated it.

Between the open material of his silk shirt she spotted the edges of the messy scrawl "HA HA HA" on the right along his collarbone and the tips of a jester hat on the left. Peeking above the three fastened buttons was another tattoo. There wasn't enough visible for her to guess what it was, but it seemed to be more letters. And when he turned his head, a fan of playing cards flashed in the dip of his neck.

"If you stare any harder my clothes are just going to melt off."

Penny whipped her head up. Mister J's eyes were holding steady on hers as he picked up the glasses, wandering over to her with an air of amusement. He paused about a foot away, silently waiting for her to react. Her cheeks expectedly reddened and her arms tightened around herself.

"I wasn't… I didn't mean to—I was just…"

He seemed to enjoy her rambling as he handed a glass to her. She took it with a defeated sigh, inwardly cursing herself for being so transparent.

"You have a lot of tattoos," she stated as if to defend herself.

"I do," he took a sip of his bubbling drink. When he pulled the glass away he raised a nonexistent eyebrow, "Wanna see the rest? Or would you rather just let your imagination run wild?"

It felt like her cheeks were on fire. "Er—I'll just stick with my imagination, thanks."

He hummed, eyes squinted at her before he slithered past her, curving around the couch to take a seat with a deep exhale on the far cushion. She trailed him slowly, pausing near the arm of the couch unsure of what to do next. She bit the inside of her lip, nearly drawing blood as his dark blue eyes glided over to her frozen form. He rested an elbow on the back of the couch, leaning his temple on his hand as he turned to regard her.

"Do you enjoy standing?" he asked suddenly, voice deep. Skin pinched between her eyebrows at the question. He elaborated, "You just seem to rarely want to sit down in my presence. That's either because you prefer standing or you're afraid to sit. Aren't your legs awfully tired by now?"

Penny pursed her lips and with a pang in her heart she maneuvered around until she was sitting on the cushion next to him. She mirrored his expression earlier, lifting a challenging eyebrow. The corner of his lips turned up.

"See now isn't that better?" he teased. "It's not like I bite."

There was a pause and Penny waited expectantly for the obvious innuendo that was bound to follow but to her surprise nothing came, though the mischievous gleam in his eye as he took another sip suggested it was already implied. She looked away and took a sip of her own drink. It was cool and refreshing on her tongue.

"Your shoes," he then said. "You gonna leave those on, too?"

Penny glanced down at her black heels. She actually forgot she was still wearing them. The minute she sat down the pressure on her feet was relieved. They'd been sore for most of the night. She slid them off one by one and scooted back into the couch. Despite the fact that the leather was cold on her thighs it was still rather comfortable. She felt tired from the day's events and she didn't even know what time it was. If she were at home right now she'd probably already be in bed.

"Tell me about your daddy," Mister J suggested out of the blue, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Penny looked over at him, noticeably taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"It's just been _eating_ away at me," he lamented, rolling his head to where it was lying on the back of the couch on top of his stretched arm. His fingers were inches away from touching her shoulder. "What kinda beef you got with the guy? He musta done something bad if you're not willing to die for him."

Penny faced forward, eyes skimming the room. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know why it mattered to him.

"I told you, he wasn't really around," she said, hoping it would satisfy him.

"That it?" he asked, clearly expecting more. "You want the guy dead just 'cause he was MIA?"

"I…" Penny sputtered. "I never said I wanted him _dead_."

"I couldn't help but infer," he rationalized innocently, lacking remorse. Penny gazed at his fingers closely, watching them twitch above her shoulder. He didn't try to touch her though it looked like he was playing with the thought. "Mine wasn't around either," he admitted, surprising her yet again, "if it's any consolation."

He said it casually, no heat behind the words. He didn't sound like he was trying to make her feel better but more so like he was trying to move the conversation along.

"It's not," she replied, clutching the glass tightly in her lap.

"That why you're all closed off and twitchy?" Mister J continued, tone light. "Got some repressed anger? Don't worry, even the best of us are emotionally shallow."

Her head snapped in his direction again, eyes wide. "Are you trying to psychoanalyze _me_ now?"

His red lips stretched into a grin.

"Ironic, huh? Kinda one of those 'pot calling the kettle black' things," he picked his head up, strands of green hair falling out of place. He waved the wrist that was hovering near her head. "So your mom's dead," he recounted, listing them off. Penny frowned. "So is mine. You got a deadbeat old man, so did I."

He perked up.

"Hey," he finally reached that extra inch and slapped her shoulder in an amicable sort of way that made her tonsils curl. "Looks like we're in the same boat, Pennywise. Two peas in a pod."

"Why don't we start a club?" Penny remarked sarcastically, putting the rim of the glass up to her lips.

"Only if I get to be president," said Mister J airily. He poked her shoulder. " _You_ could be co-president."

"You mean vice president?"

"Whatever."

Penny's lips twitched slightly as she took a drink. Mister J noticed this and stood quickly from his seat. She started at the movement, glancing up at him warily. He held a finger up to her and then moved over to an end table, grabbing a familiar remote that she knew controlled the fireplace. Flames sparked to life inside the hearth, casting a warming glow amongst the table and rug. He tugged at the waistline of his pants, spine straightening as he stared somewhere above the mantle. Penny gazed at him for a moment, watching as he fell into deep thought.

"How did you get a place like this?" she asked about a minute later, curiosity getting the best of her.

"It belonged to some loaded Italian family," he answered, back still to her. "It was like a vacation home or something," it was silent for a few seconds. "They didn't need it anymore."

Penny grimaced, feeling her stomach churn. It explained the lack of personalization in the room, though. There were white bookcases covering the available wall space with various items decorating their shelves—a few plastic plants, some modern-looking silver figurines, a few textbooks, and candles. There were no picture frames anywhere, not that Penny expected there to be. Mister J didn't seem like the kind of person who would document his life through photographs and she didn't know nearly enough about Harley to infer anything about her. Nothing about them was very traditional.

"Do you miss her?" Penny dared to ask.

Mister J gradually turned back in her direction, hands resting on his hips. His face was blank save for his eyes that always seemed ablaze with emotion she couldn't read.

"Would you?" he turned the question back on her.

Penny felt irritated for a second that he didn't actually answer her.

"Yes," she said carefully, playing along. "I suppose I would. Someone like that warrants being missed."

Mister J's chin lifted.

"So you're the kind of person who misses things when they're gone," it was more of a statement rather than another question.

Penny was once again thrown by his words, hesitant on how to take them. She didn't know if their meaning was as clear as they sounded or if there was something else underneath she wasn't able to understand.

"I mean… I guess?" her eyebrows scrunched. "That's just human nature though," she said with a delicate shrug. He cocked his head to the side to urge her on, a very childlike movement that almost made her stumble over her words. "I don't think people were made to be alone."

"Interesting theory," he mused. "Does that mean you miss your daddy?"

Penny wanted to feel uncomfortable with the question, say that it was too personal and he should be minding his own business or something along those lines, but it seemed like he was genuinely curious to hear her answer. Like his mind couldn't possibly fathom the idea of missing someone you disliked.

"Sometimes," she admitted. "Not him exactly, but… just the thought of him and what he represented I guess," she gauged his reaction. His lips turned downward.

"Huh," was all he said.

She considered throwing the question back at him but thought better of it. Instead she heaved a sigh and glanced behind her at the clock on the stove. It was getting late. She bit the inside of her cheek and glanced over at his still form. It didn't seem like he was going to pursue that conversation any further.

"It's getting late," she told him, attempting to sound nonchalant. The underlying hint of expectancy didn't get past him and Mister J turned to face her slowly.

"Again with stating the obvious," he drawled evasively.

"Would you mind driving me home?" she asked tiredly. "Or to the restaurant so I can pick up my car? If it's still there…"

She didn't know what she would do if her car was stolen. It wasn't exactly a Ferrari or anything, she didn't really see the appeal of stealing it, but the fact that it was so cheap made it so much easier to take.

"It _is_ late," Mister J inclined his head, side-eyeing her. There was a mischievous glint in his eye that made Penny narrow her eyes suspiciously. "I think I'm just too _exhausted_ to drive anywhere tonight."

She gave him a blank stare.

"I need to get home," she stated seriously. What was he playing at?

"You don't _need_ to do anything," he countered, tone losing its lightness for a brief second before it quickly returned. "It's not even a school night. Take a walk on the wild side."

"Are you implying that I stay here?" she blinked. She could think of a million different reasons why that was not a good idea. She would almost rather sleep under a noisy overpass.

"Are you that opposed to a sleepover? Pennywise…" he tutted with a tilt of his head. "This is why it's hard for you to make friends."

"I don't…" she closed her eyes, breathing deeply through her nose. When she opened them a grin was tugging at his red-stained lips. He was infuriating. "I don't even have any clothes to change into."

"I like to think clothing's optional."

"You know what? No," she quickly stood from the couch, primly smoothing down her dress with a scowl on her lips. She stood tall, crossing her arms over her chest and marring a brave face. "I want to go home."

The grin dropped from his lips so quickly it was like it was never there in the first place. Penny schooled her expression with a bit of effort though was unable to hide the way her eyes widened as he gave a threatening step towards her, eyes hard and face stony.

"Another twelve hours here won't kill you," his eyes flickered down her body, causing her to squirm and tighten her crossed arms, before returning to her face, "if you _behave_ , anyway. If you're so bothered about clothing I'll get you something to wear. But you're staying here for the night and I don't want to hear any more complaints. You forget I don't have neighbors."

Penny's throat felt like it shrank two sizes at the implications. She gritted her teeth, pursing her lips into a thin line in order to keep her panic at bay. The way he stared down at her, eyes so intense that they dared her to protest, made her feel like she was melting into the floor. She would rather he tease her than do this. His humor unnerved her sometimes but it was still preferable to the snarl coating his upper lip.

"Wait here," he all but growled before spinning on his heel and stalking out of the room, shoulders hunched.

Penny let out a shaky breath the minute she heard his feet echoing on the staircase.

"Jesus Christ," she whispered, eyes closed.

She still didn't know what he was playing at. Why would he want her to stay the night? Why did he want her to do anything? It was starting to become exhausting trying to figure him out. The minute she thought she knew, he turned everything around on her. Maybe that was his intention all along.

He reappeared a few seconds later, a ball of wadded up material clutched in his right fist and a pillow and blanket tucked under the other. The minute he passed the threshold into the living room he tossed the item of clothing at her. She barely caught it before it hit the floor. She held it in out in front of her. It was a large white t-shirt with orange print and a familiar sketched owl.

"Hooters?" she asked, eyebrows raised. She almost wanted to know how _that_ restaurant visit went. She licked her lips, lifting the shirt a bit. "Um… are there any shorts?"

Mister J rubbed his jaw.

"No."

"You don't have any…?"

"I highly doubt any of my pants will fit you," he snapped, choosing not to elaborate.

She considered Harley, knowing that the girl must've had something she could've worn, but she chose not to bring it up. It was clear he was side-skirting the topic for a reason. She pursed her lips.

"Alright," she replied evenly, holding the shirt up to herself. It was practically the length of her dress. She crumpled it up and held it against her. "Which room am I staying in?"

Mister J tilted his head and she heard a soft _crack_ from his neck. He pointed at the couch.

"That one."

Penny countered before she could think to stop herself, "But you have plenty of other rooms—"

"You're sleeping. Down. Here," he gritted through his silver teeth. She promptly closed her mouth. He then threw the pillow and blanket over the back of the couch. At least he gave her those. "I'm going to bed," he announced, picking the remote up to turn the fireplace off. "Don't make any noise and try not to touch anything."

She watched him leave, feeling small and oddly lonely when a door slammed shut upstairs.

"Well good night to you, too," she murmured, eyeing her surroundings cautiously.

If she were really brave she'd snatch one of the car keys off the hook and drive herself home. But not only did she have zero backbone, she wasn't a hundred percent sure how to _get_ home. This was the furthest into the New Jersey countryside—if it could really be called that—that she'd ever been. She really needed to start paying attention on their drives.

She walked over to the couch and rearranged the blanket and pillow. The couch was rather large, not only length-wise but also by width. At least she wouldn't feel like she was going to fall off every time she flipped over. She stepped back to admire the setup, lips puckered to the side as she considered the remote on the end table. Having the fireplace on would do a good job of soothing her, maybe help her fall asleep, but since Mister J didn't give her free reign she didn't think it'd be the wisest idea to turn it back on without his permission. She certainly wasn't about to traipse upstairs and ask. She'd have to do without it.

Even though there wasn't a house around for miles she still felt obligated to change in the corner of the living room the window didn't reach. She kept an eye on the arch into the hallway in case Mister J decided to make a sudden appearance mid-change. Thankfully he never did.

The shirt was comfortable. A bit stiff like it hadn't been worn much, if at all, but at least it wasn't scratchy. It reached her upper thigh and she told herself at first light she would change back into her dress before he happened to see her so underdressed. Penny picked up the half-empty glass of grape soda from the glass table and padded into the kitchen. She downed the rest of it before delicately sitting it in the sink. With a deep sigh she turned the kitchen light off, enveloping the room in darkness.

She found her way around the couch with no trouble. She sat her purse next to the table before lying down. The leather once again felt cold on her bare legs but it didn't bother her too much. She fluffed the pillow and lied down, staring at the unmoving fan bolted to the ceiling. There was a soft hint of moonlight peeking in through the blinds, casting a gentle glow amongst the furniture. She didn't hear anything from upstairs, leaving the house startlingly quiet.

 _I can't believe I'm here,_ she thought to herself. _I can't believe this is really happening._

Trying not to let her nerves get the best of her, she readjusted herself until she felt the most comfortable. Her eyelids felt heavy despite the pang of anxiety coiling in her stomach. She closed her eyes, breathing evenly through her nose. She wasn't aware of when she actually fell asleep.

* * *

Penny jerked awake sometime later. She couldn't remember actually falling asleep but the heaviness of her eyes and the grogginess of her head proved that she had. She blinked away the film in her eyes as they tried to adjust to the darkness. The glow of the moon was still shimmering through the blinds of the window, indicating that she hadn't slept very long.

Wiping a hand down her face, Penny turned over on her side to try and get comfortable enough to fall back asleep. She pulled the blanket up to her chin, curling her legs up. Sighing, her eyes fluttered closed. It didn't take long before she felt her mind slowly beginning to drift off again and within a couple of seconds she could feel herself balancing on the edge between consciousness and unconsciousness.

Until she jerked awake a second time, heart hammering in her chest.

At first she couldn't tell why she woke up again, brain still foggy and fighting tiredness. It was just as dark as it had been about a minute ago, the house was quiet and she was warm. But something didn't feel right.

She grumbled beneath her breath, sitting up a bit to readjust her pillow. Why couldn't she just sleep all night? Why'd she have to wake up? Obviously she'd been sleeping well up until that point. Now her mind had to go and remind her that she wasn't at home which of course meant sleeping was impossible.

Once her pillow was properly fluffed and organized the way she wanted, she went to lie down again. But when she was about halfway down, she spotted something over the back of the couch through the glass door.

She was able to remember well enough that the door led into the garage and the garage had been closed ever since she and Mister J entered the house. It wasn't completely dark because of the windows on the garage doors, allowing for a hint of blue moonlight to shine through. There were faint outlines of cabinets and the hood of the cars, things she expected to see, but her eyes caught what appeared to be a silhouette of something just to the right of the door. It might not have been anything out of the ordinary but she could've sworn she saw it move.

Because she was paranoid she kept her head low to where only her eyes were peeking over the back of the couch. It took her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the lack of light again and when they did she spotted the shadow almost immediately. It was still. She narrowed her eyes and watched it, propping herself up with her elbow. It could've been anything really. She didn't have a photographic memory. Any number of things could be shaped tall and lean in his garage.

She counted to thirty inside her head before allowing herself to relax. It still hadn't moved.

She exhaled, feeling the relief wash over her. She must've just been seeing things.

She went to lie down again and that was when she saw it. Movement, along with a flash of something silver. Her heart stopped and her blood ran cold before she quickly lied down on her back, clutching the blankets in her fists.

There was someone in the garage.

Breathing labored, Penny took a moment to quickly scan the room. She didn't know what she was looking for. A weapon maybe. How had they got in? She was almost positive Mister J had special locks for his garages. Was it just one person? Maybe some lowlife thug who knew the house belonged to a rich family. Maybe he thought he'd try to snatch some wallets and items of value while they were sleeping that he could sell later for more money. That was the basis of crime in Gotham—stealing. It wasn't that unlikely. She licked her lips, eyes still scoping out the room, when they landed on an iron toolset sitting by the fireplace. Resting on the end was a fire iron used for adjusting coal and wood.

She tried to quiet her breathing so she could listen. There was a faint scratching against metal, a clicking that sounded every few seconds silent enough that she could barely hear it. It took her a good minute to realize what it was. They were picking the lock on the door.

Penny glanced over at the fire iron again. As soundlessly as possible she slid off the couch to where she was lying between it and the glass table, rolling over onto her stomach. She paused, waiting until she heard the clicking again before she began to army crawl around the table. She was hoping either the top of the couch was blocking her from view or the person was too focused on lock-picking the door to notice her.

When she reached the toolset she chanced a look over her shoulder. The outline of the person was clear as day against the door but it seemed like their head was still tilted downward in the direction of the lock. Trying to keep her peripherals on the door, she reached an arm out to grab the fire iron from the rack. There was a soft _clang_ when she lifted it out of place but she knew it wouldn't have been loud enough for them to hear on the other side of the door.

As carefully as she could she crawled back over to the couch and hid herself next to it, gripping the iron tightly against her chest.

She looked past the couch towards the hallway and considered making a run for it when the unmistakable turn of a lock echoed in the room. She stiffened, eyes widening as the person slowly slid the glass door open.

Penny quickly covered her mouth and nose with her hand to try and silence her breathing. She should've bolted for the front room while she had the chance but she didn't know if there was anyone else in the house. It seemed too coincidental that the house this person was breaking into belonged to the Joker. It had to have been purposeful. Maybe it was someone seeking revenge on him, in which case they were probably more dangerous than your average criminal.

There was a distinctive thud of boots meeting tile as they finally stepped inside. Their footsteps were measured and steady as they took their time peering around the area. She never heard them close the door behind them which meant if need be she could maybe slip out unnoticed once they were out of sight.

A shadow crept over the couch, reflecting on the glass table. She watched the shadow with fearful eyes, feeling faint as her heart hammered painfully against her ribcage. Their footsteps were louder as they stepped alongside the back of the couch, pausing at the end where her head was. Her hand shook against her lips as the shadow moved against the glass. It was their head turning, facing forward in the direction of the fireplace.

 _You don't see me you don't see me you don't see me,_ she repeated like a mantra inside her head.

They finally took a step away from the couch and she slumped back against the floor, letting her hand fall away from her face. She tilted her ear towards the kitchen and could hear them walking around in there, opening and closing drawers for whatever reason. They then started for the hallway and Penny panicked slightly, knowing that her head would most likely be visible the further away they walked.

She started scooting down a bit to escape notice when there was a thump from the floor directly above her. She snapped her head towards the ceiling. There was quick shuffling like shoes dragging against carpet and she knew it wasn't Mister J moving around. Must've been an accomplice.

The person closest to her continued on through the threshold of the hallway, bending every which way to peek into each room down its narrow stretch. Penny waited a good fifteen seconds before pulling herself up onto her knees. Her gaze first locked on the open glass door. She didn't immediately see anyone in the garage. She then turned to face the hallway where the person disappeared. They were far enough down the corridor that she couldn't see them.

She pushed herself to her feet, still kneeling in a crouch. Pulling the large t-shirt down to her knees she began maneuvering herself around the L of the couch. She peeked her head over the arm as she did so, watching the hallway closely to make sure they were still heading away from her. She bent over and snuck her head around the base of the couch to where she could see directly down the hallway, fire iron held tightly. She stopped herself short. They were only about halfway through the corridor, poking their head through one of the doors.

Penny waited until they continued moving. Her eyes flickered towards the open door. Now was probably a good time to bolt while they were distracted. She inched forward but halted right after, a sudden thought striking her.

What about Mister J?

She wanted to slap herself for letting the question cross her mind. It didn't matter. She didn't even want to be here. She shouldn't have been in this mess. Whatever the reason these people broke in was, she was sure he had it coming. The only important thing was that she got out safely. If it came down to it, she was positive he'd save his own skin rather than go out of his way to save hers. Why risk her life for someone that wouldn't do the same for her?

 _Just leave him,_ a voice whispered. She shrugged inwardly. Decision made.

She crept towards the glass door, the tile feeling cold on her bare feet, until her legs stopped themselves with no warning.

 _You can't just leave him,_ another voice countered. She huffed through her nose. What the hell? When did her conscience get here?

 _He can take care of himself,_ refuted the first voice.

 _What if he's still asleep when they find him?_ the other argued. Had she gone completely mental?

 _He knows self-defense._

 _What if he's caught off guard? What if he doesn't have a weapon nearby?_

 _He's killed dozens of people._

There was a pause.

 _He's not killed you._

She gritted her teeth, shaking the iron in her fists in irritation for a good five seconds straight. _Damn it_. Why couldn't she have been raised a bad person? Why did she have to care about other people? Why was she the kind of person to feel sorry for a psychopath?

"I better not die for this," she muttered under her breath. "I will _not_ die for him."

She turned away from the door with a clenched jaw, pressing herself into the back of the couch to crouch forward towards the hallway. The silhouette of the person was barely visible at the end of the hall. She waited for them to creep into the entry room and then she started gliding along the back of the couch, still crouched. There was a pang in her heart when she couldn't see them anymore and she stopped short a few feet away from the hallway.

'Stupid, stupid, stupid,' she mouthed to herself.

With a deep breath she scrambled to the wall that blocked the living room off from the hallway and hid around it. She didn't have a game plan and her common sense was on the fritz at the moment so she'd probably never come up with one. Readjusting her sweaty grip on the iron she peeked around the corner and saw the person—their burly shoulders suggested they were a man—digging through one of the chests near the staircase. Penny was fairly certain the chest didn't belong to Mister J so they weren't likely to find anything of interest.

 _If I could just sneak up behind him and hit him in the head,_ she thought, biting her lip.

A million scenarios raced through her head like being too loud and alerting him to her presence or missing his head and accidentally hitting something else, inevitably alerting him to her presence. Just about all these ended in her bloody, gruesome demise.

Deciding to just wing it she stood and started scaling the wall down the hallway with her fire iron held defensively in front of her. The man was tossing things out of the chest, seemingly uncaring whether he made any noise or not.

Her eyes skimmed the winding staircase when it came into view. It seemed quiet up there. She listened for any signs of the other intruder but heard nothing. She wasn't sure which room was Mister J's. For all she knew his body was face down in his bed, throat slit as he bled into the sheets. She somehow doubted that though. Of all the ways he could die, that just seemed too anticlimactic.

Penny was within a couple feet of the man shifting through the chest. He didn't seem to notice her yet. She took pride in how noiselessly she could walk when barefoot. Growing up in an old farmhouse with creaking floorboards helped her master the skill. Her fingers clenched around the iron and she lifted it up, figuring a good swat to the back would suffice since his head was bent too low for her to reach. Chest heaving, she drew the iron back before swinging as hard as she could.

In the blink of an eye a hand jolted through the air and caught the iron mid-strike, nearly throwing her off balance.

The man slowly lifted himself from the chest, hand still clutching her weapon between them. She stared in awe, wondering how the momentum hadn't shattered his palm. It was too dark to give any detail but she could see the whites of his eyes and the way his eyelids squinted as he narrowed his gaze at her in anger. Her mind was still trying to catch up with his astounding reflexes and her mouth let out a quick breath.

"Oh boy," she whispered, voice trembling.

He grinned evilly, mouth twisted into a snarl as he lifted his free hand and backhanded her across the face. Burning pain shot through her cheekbone and she yelped, stumbling sideways from the force as she clutched her cheek. Blood pulsed there, throbbing in tune with the pain, and she winced. She heard the loud clatter of the iron being tossed carelessly to the ground and before she had the chance to right herself she felt his stiff boot connect with her ribs. He kicked her to the ground and she only just caught herself with her hand, rolling over onto her back to shield herself as he dove on top of her. Her hands immediately slotted to his throat, closing down on his windpipe while pushing his head away from her. His fingers tangled in her hair and a few cries escaped her when he pulled roughly. His fist connected with her other cheek, sending another shock of searing pain through her face.

Her legs kicked underneath him, knees nailing him in the hip and stomach. He elbowed her thigh once, annoyed with the kicks, and she hissed at the bruise that immediately formed there. Fingers still gripping her hair, he gracelessly hauled the both of them to their feet. Her scalp screamed in protest at the pressure and since he was a good five inches taller than her, her fingers fell from his throat at the angle. He shoved her forcefully against a wall in the hallway and she barely had time to lock her neck to keep the back of her head from slamming into the plaster.

Heart racing she grabbed his arms to keep herself upright and lifted one of her legs. Her foot smashed against his pelvis and she shoved with all her might. He fell against the adjacent wall with a grunt and she spun around to find the iron he dropped. She wasn't quick enough. His beefy fingers sunk into her bicep, yanking her back to him and he shoved her against the wall again, arm held against her throat.

"Did the missus get into a fight?" he taunted in a wet hiss, puffs of warm breath stinging her eyes. "Was she banished to the couch for the night? Little girl in time out, hmm?"

Penny yelled, squeezing her eyes shut at the pressure his arm added to her throat. It felt like her windpipe was being crushed and she let out a strangled cry, swinging her arms to try and deter him. She hit something hard every time, probably his forehead or jaw, and he grunted with each one, pressing harder against her throat. Pain erupted inside her head, pulsating inside her skull and gravitating down her brainstem. She tried kicking at his legs, feet only meeting air except for once when she got his shin. He howled in anger.

"You'll pay for that one, missus."

He slammed his boot on the top of her foot. Her natural instinct was to cry in pain but no sound came from her throat aside from smothered gasps and high-pitched squeaks.

She felt lightheaded and her lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen, increasing the pain in her head. Her limbs started to tingle and any energy she had to fight back began to dissipate. He grinned darkly at her lack of struggle, pressing his arm even further into her neck. She almost expected to hear a crack—surely some damage had been done—but it never came. His free hand dug into her hair again, nails scratching her scalp and yanking out a good fistful of her hair. Her sensory nerves were too frazzled and numb to feel the pain.

Black spots soon clouded her sight and his face distorted as her eyes wavered in and out of focus, tears brimming them. Tunnel vision prevented her from seeing much of anything but she caught something silver flash near his ear a second before a sickly wet crack echoed in the air. He choked, gurgling on saliva that immediately pooled in his mouth, and Penny blinked rapidly as his arm loosened on her throat. The minute his arm fell her vision returned and she spotted the hilt of a knife embedded deeply into his scalp as his body crumbled to the ground, legs twitching.

She lurched forward, suffocating on her own breath as she coughed and rubbed her sore throat. Her lungs contracted painfully and the headache grew behind her eyes as she tried to breathe. Hurried footsteps padded in her direction from the base of the stairs and a cold hand shoved her upright until she was pressed back against the wall. She wheezed, eyes fluttering through the tears and she spotted a familiar head of green hair that was disheveled and hanging loosely.

He replaced one hand with another at her sternum and there was something metal and heavy pressed against her chest. Her hands quickly lifted to grab whatever it was and he pulled away. She glanced down at it, tilting it in her grasp. It was a golden pistol.

"Use it," Mister J growled.

He bent down to retrieve the knife from the dead man's head. Red liquid coated the blade and if Penny wasn't still coughing she'd feel sick. He pulled another knife from the waistband of his pants, twirling them in each hand like they were an extension of his own arms.

"Stay here," he all but ordered, face twisted in fury. "There's two more upstairs and I think I saw one outside. Just don't move and try not to get yourself killed, _missus_."

He disappeared up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. Her throat was raw, burning each time she inhaled and exhaled. Her breath sounded hoarse and she leaned against the wall, lightly clutching the pistol in her hand while the other continued to rub her neck. Her eyes felt itchy from the dry tears and all the pain she was numb to seconds ago was slowly beginning to register.

Trying to keep herself from passing out, she looked anywhere but at the still body crumpled at her feet. She readjusted the pistol in her hand to where her finger was resting near the trigger. She'd have no qualms with emptying the entire magazine into someone's chest if she had to.

She heard muffled struggling upstairs followed by a startled cry and a bodily thump. A few seconds later a similar sound was heard and then more footsteps. Penny's head was lolling sluggishly against the wall by the time Mister J was stomping back down the stairs. Through hooded eyes she saw a bloody knife clutched in one hand and a gun in the other. His second knife seemed to have been missing. There were dark streaks staining his jawline, bare chest and arms, and Penny was fleetingly concerned for his well-being, only to realize upon closer inspection that it wasn't his blood.

Mister J's face was contorted into some unfathomable rage Penny had never seen before. His eyes were dark and even in the shadows Penny could see how widely his pupils were dilated. His chest was heaving as he scanned the front room, fiddling with the knife in his hand like he was itching to stick it in somebody. Glass shattered from the kitchen, causing both of their heads to snap in its direction. She cringed at the sharp pain in her throat from the movement.

Mister J growled, teeth barred and glinting, and he stalked past her with his shoulders hunched. Penny felt exhausted almost to the point of collapsing but her feet pushed her down the hall behind him.

A body was snatched from beside the wine rack where they were hunkered down. Mister J shoved the man against the island, eyes murderous, blocking him in against the counter. Mister J shifted his narrow hips against the man's larger ones, nonexistent eyebrows raising.

"Ooh," he cooed, eyes wide. "That a knife in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

Mister J palmed the hilt of his knife and used his free fingers to dig through the man's pocket as he attempted to kick out of his grip. With a gravely 'aha!' Mister J brandished a small pocket knife hidden in the man's pants. With a maniacal grin he tossed it over his shoulder and the man tried throwing a punch but Mister J blocked it with ease, manipulating the knife in his hand to where it slashed the man's wrist in midair. He screamed and Mister J hoisted him up by his collar, tossing him past the island where he lost his footing and stumbled to the ground. He shuddered at the clown that approached him and shakily fingered his belt until he snatched something black out of a holster strapped there.

It was almost second nature for Penny to quickly aim the pistol and shoot. It's like her mind was on autopilot because if she'd been thinking logically, she knew that Mister J probably would've either dodged the bullet or been the quicker draw. As it turns out, she pulled the trigger faster than both of them. The man screamed and clutched the side of his thigh, blood seeping between his fingers. It hadn't been what she was aiming for—she was going for the hand clutching the gun—but she wasn't that good of a shot. Actually, she was a bit surprised she managed to hit him at all. All the same, he dropped the gun in favor of tending to his wound and Mister J watched him squirm in agony for a few seconds, seemingly enjoying the view.

Satisfied that the man showed no signs of trying to move, Mister J spoke to Penny without looking at her.

"Watch him," he ground out before rolling his shoulders and strolling through the glass door into the garage.

Penny walked forward—or limped, rather—and kicked the gun out of the man's reach before he got any ideas. His eyes were squeezed shut, hands wrapped around his upper leg with his teeth clenched. She backed away and took the time to get a good look at him. He seemed rather young, possibly a few years older than Penny, with sun-kissed skin and long dark hair tied into a ponytail. She spotted a golden tooth in his mouth surrounded by white teeth too perfect to be real. The diamond ring on his pinky suggested he had wealth. Whether it was an honest wealth was to be determined, though Penny was betting it wasn't.

Penny kept the gold pistol trained in his direction as she slumped against the island counter. Her entire face hurt and she was having a hard time swallowing. She wasn't sure how long she sat there listening to the man grunt so when three shots rang loudly outside she jumped and lifted the gun warily. Her eyes locked on the glass door and she breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Mister J's pale form a minute later partially lit from the moonlight where the garage door was now open.

He glided back into the house, finger poised over the trigger on his gun as his dark eyes glared down at the man's prone form. Mister J slammed the gun onto the counter, the sound ringing throughout the kitchen in a painful echo. His hand was caked with dry blood and he fisted the man's collar again, yanking him into a sitting position and spinning him around to where his back was pressed against the base of the island. Mister J swung one of his legs over the man's lap, crouching above him as he tilted his chin up. He held the red-stained knife against the man's cheek, trailing the needle-sharp tip along the skin.

"Wanna tell me why you're here?" Mister J asked quietly. The blade poked the corner of his mouth, pressing into the flesh. The man stuttered out a short breath.

"Boss wants his money back," the man hissed, trying to pull his head out of Mister J's hold.

"Boss?" Mister J tilted his head, voice innocently confused. He trailed the knife along the man's bottom lip. "I'm not sure who you're referring to. 'Cause see, you're in my house. _My_ house," his jaw clenched dangerously. "I'm the boss."

"Vincent!" said the man. "I'm talkin' 'bout Vincent!"

"Ahh," Mister J grinned. "Vinny boy. See, that makes more sense," the knife tickled the other side of his mouth and the man shuddered. "Now, you said something about money. I'm gonna need you to be more specific."

"The money you _stole_ ," the man spat, voice lifting. He yelped when Mister J put pressure on the knife, causing the blade to penetrate the skin. Blood trickled from the wound down to his chin, smearing across Mister J's hand.

"Borrowed without permission," Mister J corrected, using the blunt end of the knife to brush away the line of blood. "I seem to recall him owing me some cash not too long ago," he crooked his head. "Ring a bell? Consider the debt paid."

"You didn't even give us a _chance_ —" he cried out again when the knife carved a delicate line above his lip. Blood immediately beaded up from between the torn flesh.

"The nerve you had," Mister J hissed, leaning in closer to the man's face, silver teeth barred. "Breaking into _my_ house, going through _my_ things, tryna get into _my_ cellar…" his nose pressed against the man's temple, teeth snapping an inch away from his cheek. "Your friends are dead, if you didn't already know. Looks like you're the lucky bachelor," he pushed the knife in some more, holding the man's head steady as he squirmed and screamed. A jagged line curled from the corner of his lip up into his cheek. There was a pool of blood collecting in Mister J's hand beneath the man's chin. Penny felt her stomach twist and she pursed her lips. It was like a horrible car crash—graphic and gruesome but she couldn't tear her eyes away. "I want you to give your _boss_ a message for me. Can you do that?"

The man howled again as Mister J slipped the blade through the punctured skin. Penny was able to see the tip of the blade poking against the skin from the inside, raising the flesh. The skin surrounding the cut was angry and red.

"I'll take that as a yes," Mister J grinned. He opened his mouth wide, lips still curved up as he delicately pulled the blade from skin. Salty tears were falling from the man's eyes down into the exposed gash. "Next time he wants to plan an ambush, tell him not to be a pussy and actually come himself. I've got a fifty caliber bullet with his name on it I can't wait to _fuck_ his temporal lobe with. Can you tell him that for me?"

The man managed something of a nod and Mister J's grin slowly faded. He heaved himself up from ground and, with the man still seated between his legs, he pulled him up by his chin. The man struggled and gurgled, holding onto Mister J's blood-stained hand in order to pull himself up. Penny tensed and backed away, leaning against the far counter near the hallway. The man spat out a wad of saliva and blood, landing on the tile floor with a disgusting splat. The entire right side of his face looked like a massacre, sagging skin and smears of blood that dripped down his jaw. The iron scent was fresh on the air and Penny had to cover her nose with the back of her hand before she emptied the contents of her stomach.

The man looked like he didn't know which wound to cover up first and instead turned to face her, eyes squinted as he breathed heavily like she somehow offended him by existing.

"Who the fuck is she?" he asked in a haggard voice, his once pearly-white teeth glistening red.

Mister J turned his head to face her, scanning her from head to toe. She felt his eyes breeze over the bruises on her cheeks and neck. He turned back to the man, lips puckered into a pout.

"She's the one who shot you in the leg," he said simply. "I'd suggest you get that checked out soon. Won't want it to get infected," he pointed his dirty knife at the glass door. "Go. Don't forget to relay the message for me. That's a good boy."

The man all but limped out of the house while clutching the side of his face, Mister J following so close behind him that his breath was probably moistening the back of the man's neck.

Penny let out a sigh so deep she triggered another coughing fit. She sat the pistol on the counter behind her, swallowing a few times to test the soreness in her throat. It was still pretty bad, enough to make tears sting her eyes, and she sniffed. She didn't know whether she wanted to cry or yell or sleep. Every bone in her body ached and there was a buzzing in her skull like a TV station that couldn't get a signal. She felt like maybe she was in shock. She couldn't really tell; she didn't know what being in shock felt like. What she did know was that too much had happened over the past hour and her mind was having trouble keeping up.

Also, her body hurt. Like, _really_ hurt.

She stepped forward to lean against the counter, clutching her head in her hands. She stood there for minutes, hours, seconds… she didn't really know. It took Mister J long enough to return back inside that she had a feeling he watched the man limp away until he was no longer in sight. Considering the amount of blood he lost, Penny wouldn't be surprised if he didn't make it to wherever it was he needed to go. Hopefully there was a getaway van parked somewhere.

She was dizzy by the time she heard his bare feet padding on the tile. She lifted her head slowly to find his eyes already on her. His face was steely and unreadable, and he glanced down at the floor where a smear of bloodstains covered the tiles.

"I'm surprised you actually got him," Mister J finally said. His voice sounded gravely and rough. He wiped the back of his hand across his face, pulling back to see the blood that came with it. There didn't seem to be a scratch on him. She wondered how many people's blood he actually had on him. How many had shown up? Four? Five?

"Me too," she admitted, words raspy.

Mister J tossed his knife on the counter next to the gun and stepped across the bloody floor, uncaring if he got any on his feet. He reached for her face and she recoiled at the blood on his fingers. He ignored her and tilted her chin up to get a good look at her neck.

"It'll bruise for a couple days," he said. "You'll live."

His thumb brushed against her cheekbone where she suspected another bruise was already beginning to form. He let the hand fall, his blue eyes scanning her face.

"He gotcha good."

"No kidding," she croaked. She winced again when she felt a sharp pain behind her eyes. Her headache was starting to get worse. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off she felt lightheaded and sick. "I don't feel good…" she swayed.

Mister J licked his lips and glanced around them before looking back at her unsteady form.

"Yeah alright, just come with m—"

She was out before she hit the floor.

* * *

The moment Penny realized she was conscious she wished she weren't.

Everything hurt.

Her face especially, the soreness penetrating all the way to the bone across her entire skull like it'd been run over by a bulldozer. Her brows pulled down into a wince and she shifted in her spot, feeling something smooth above and beneath her. There was light warmth shining over her face and it took her a moment to realize it was the sun. Making a face, she slowly blinked her eyes open. The brightness sent pain shooting directly through her optic nerve and she moaned, turning her head away from the offending light. It took a good minute for her eyes to adjust and when they did she found she had no idea where she was. The room was a mixture of light beige and cranberry red with artwork hanging from the walls and a twinkling bedside lamp with diamonds dangling from its shade that glittered in the sunbeams.

Her head slowly turned to scan the rest of the room. On the wall adjacent to the bed she was lying in—which was incredibly large with deep purple satin sheets—was a flat screen TV mounted on a cream brick wall above a mahogany dresser that sat twice its length. Eyes examining further, she found a doorway leading into what she assumed was a grand bathroom and sitting next to it beside a long window with swooping curtains in a dark armchair was Mister J. Penny blinked again, forehead wrinkled in confusion as to how she'd gotten here.

He was slouched in the chair, legs parted with his elbow resting on the arm of the chair. His head was leaning against his hand, stained now with reddish brown streaks, and his green hair was shaggy and loose. His eyes were heavily-lidded but open and staring directly at her. Once the look on her face was a bit more aware he lifted his head, dropping the arm it was resting on.

When he didn't say anything she cleared her throat which hurt more than she expected.

"What happened?" she croaked.

"You passed out."

His pale face was void of any emotion. She couldn't tell if he was angry about something or not and her legs squirmed beneath the silk sheet.

"My face hurts," she closed her eyes for a second. "Did I hit my head on the island or something?" she lifted a hand halfway to her face but stopped herself short, afraid to touch anything.

"No, that's just your face," Mister J so eloquently informed her. "It's swollen and purple."

Another moan grumbled from the back of her throat.

"Great…" she let the information she'd obtained so far sink in before casting him a guarded look. "How did I get here?"

"You levitated," he groused sarcastically. "How do you think?"

Penny licked her lips and glanced up at the ceiling. Clearly this was his room—his and _Harley's_ room. And he put her there willingly rather than leaving her somewhere else, like on the couch. She didn't know what to make of that.

"Obviously I took full advantage of your debility and ravished you in your sleep," he continued with equal snark when she didn't say anything.

Her eyes rolled back over to his, watching as his jaw clenched and unclenched.

"Where did you sleep?" she asked curiously. If he had done something to her while she was unconscious she would've known. She knew that he hadn't.

"I didn't."

Her brows furrowed together. "Why…?"

"I had shit to take care of," he snapped. He made a point of lifting his bloody hand for her to see and it finally clicked in Penny's brain what exactly _it_ was he needed to take care of.

"Oh," she said quietly.

Her mind still felt too scrambled to really process what happened the night before. She remembered all of it even though she kind of wished she hadn't. She remembered the man's limp body as he collapsed on the floor, limbs convulsing even after his last breath from the knife that was embedded in his nervous system. She remembered seeing his skin turn ashen and grey, spoiled blood pooled beneath his head with brain matter caked into his hair. The image was too vivid in her mind; she didn't think she'd ever close her eyes and not see it.

Then she remembered how he died. She never had the time to really think about how Mister J struck him. He was on the stairs when it happened, meaning he had to have thrown the knife probably from the base of the staircase. Talk about good aim. It could have just as easily been Penny he struck by accident. But it wasn't. If Mister J hadn't been there she would've died. She was able to come to terms with that now that she had a clearer mind. He prevented that from happening. She didn't know why.

And then she tried saving him. Well, it could be argued that she tried saving him _twice_. The first was when she decided not to escape into the garage when she had the chance, though looking back on it now she probably would've been attacked anyway. The man in the kitchen was most likely in the garage waiting when she was battling with herself on whether to help Mister J. And then the second was when she shot that man in the leg. It still seemed stupid even now. Mister J most likely would've been fine. There was still a slim chance he wouldn't have though and she used that as her excuse. It was only fair after all. He saved her so she saved him. They were even now.

Penny knew better than to voice any of this out loud even though she did want to know why he saved her. It could've just been a spur of the moment thing though, like how hers was. Something he didn't even have to think about. Maybe she was reading too far into it. Her head was hurting enough as it was.

"Does that happen often?" Penny asked in hopes of deferring her own train of thought. "People breaking into your house?"

"No," he said, fingers playing with a loose string on the arm of his chair. He seemed to be deep in thought.

"Are you going to get them back?" she asked him. When his eyes met hers she shrunk back into her pillow, cheeks turning pink. "I mean, it was rude of them to… go through your things and," she stammered defensively, "you know, breaking and entering that's… well, mean."

Mister J's red lips lifted up at the corners, a familiar sight that relaxed Penny's shoulders.

"Yes, Pennywise," he bemoaned, enunciating the words slowly like he was speaking to a toddler. The slight grin was still there, amusement bleeding into his tone. "It _was_ very rude of them. I guess they just didn't learn any manners."

Penny would've rolled her eyes had her skull not been throbbing.

"Don't patronize me," she muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I was just saying."

"They were _very_ mean," he continued, pestering her further. His grin widened and he pushed himself up from the armchair. Penny's eyes trailed down his bare chest, eyebrows lifting at the massive JOKER tattooed onto his stomach above a largely smiling mouth. So that's what it said. Her gaze lowered further to the sweatpants he donned. They were a navy blue with the word ARKHAM emblazed in faded green print down the left leg. She didn't know what to make of that. "I might have to tattle on them. They're definitely grounded."

Mister J cackled at the annoyed look on Penny's face. He started making his way towards the door that led out of the bedroom.

"Got a long day ahead of us, dollface. If you behave," he called, repeating what he said the night before, "you can have some pancakes before we get started. And you might wanna take a look in the mirror while you're at it. As much as I love purple and green, they're not really doing it for me on your face."

She watched him disappear down the hall, whistling as he went, and sighed deeply. Her head fell back against the pillow again, looking up at the ceiling before a thought struck her.

Did he actually know how to make pancakes?

* * *

 **Now we're all caught up! I'm in the middle of writing chapter six so chapters are going to be posted in real time from now on. Hope everyone's enjoying this so far! HUGE thank you to the 42 favorites and 46 follows :)**

 **vintagemind : Thank you! And yeah J's interest in Penny is, well, interesting haha. It makes you wonder what all he's thinking. And I can't wait to start writing Harley! Guest: I'm glad! And well, I almost want to put 'it's complicated' because nothing with the Joker is easy to explain. But let's just say this story is focusing more on JokerxOC with JokerxHarley undertones. inperfection: Thanks once again for another awesome review! Yeah him preventing Griggs from seeing her was such a subtle move but I'm glad you caught the significance of it. And I love me some Frost! There will be plenty of him moving forward. Did their night turn out anything like you expected? haha. Guests, Love Fiction 2016: Thanks guys!**


	6. Your Fault

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the DC Universe nor any recognizable storylines from _Suicide Squad_. I only own my character(s) and the plot of this story. This is rated T for language, possible gore and violence, and mature scenes.**

* * *

 **6\. YOUR FAULT**

"Oh that's just great."

Penny scrutinized her face closely in the mirror, tilting her head from left to right to scope out the damage. There was a big fat bruise decorating the right side of her face in clouds of purple and green. She gently prodded the edges of it with her fingertip, wincing at the soreness.

"How am I supposed to go to work like this?" she muttered.

She could probably pile on the makeup with the hopes that it wouldn't make her skin look too unnatural but the swelling was a different story. She couldn't hide the puffiness under a pound of foundation.

She then lifted her chin to examine her throat. There was a clear outline, red and purple and angry, of a handprint wrapped around her neck. Her windpipe felt sore whenever she turned her head too far and occasionally when she swallowed. Again, another tricky spot to cover. She could probably get away with wearing a scarf or maybe a turtleneck since the weather was starting to get cooler but there was no guarantee either one would cover it all. The last thing she needed was for someone at work to get too nosy and report her as a victim of domestic abuse to human resources. Claims like that were never taken lightly and Penny already felt stressed at the thought of having to deal with it.

As a last resort she could just tell them someone broke into her apartment but with the bruises she had it seemed unlikely she would return to work so soon. Most people were called into the police station for questioning in situations like that right? To identify the culprit and for other legal reasons? She didn't know how any of that worked. Clearly she was behind on all of her crime shows.

With a defeated sigh she tried running a hand through her hair to make it look more presentable. Her hair was short, only reaching a few inches below her jawline, in small waves of various shades of golden blonde. The lightness of her hair made her green eyes stand out, making them appear larger than they actually were.

With her face scrunched, she turned away and headed out of the bathroom. She paused in the middle of the bedroom, eyeing her surroundings again partly because she didn't know when or if she'd ever be able to see this bedroom again, and partly because she was looking for her clothes. The last thing she wanted to do this early in the morning (if it actually was early at all) was put on a tight dress but she didn't have much of a choice.

Well, technically she did. She could just not change at all because it appeared her dress was nowhere to be seen.

Feeling too tired and mentally exhausted to care anymore, she padded out of the bedroom and down the hall to the stairs. The floors were cold on her feet and she glided down the staircase slowly, half-expecting to see a pair of dead eyes gazing up at her from the floor in the hallway. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any signs that the night's events actually occurred apart from the evidence on her face.

No blood stains, no body.

Come to think of it, she remembered hearing some sounds upstairs the night before but she didn't see any signs of a struggle upon walking around his bedroom. Nothing was knocked over, no blood trails, no smell, nothing.

" _I had shit to take care of," he snapped. He made a point of lifting his bloody hand for her to see and it finally clicked in Penny's brain what exactly 'it' was he needed to take care of._

Well, he'd certainly cleaned up fast.

Penny tried pushing the act of disposing dead bodies out of her head and walked down the corridor to the kitchen. There was a sweet scent on the air and idle chatter coming from its direction. Her stomach couldn't seem to help itself and growled.

Brows furrowed, she entered the room slowly. The first thing she spotted was Frost dressed primly as ever in his black suit perched on a stool at the island. He had a glass of… was that orange juice?… in his hand with a half empty plate sitting in front of him. Mister J was relaxing against the counter adjacent from the island, torso still bare with his Arkham sweatpants resting lowly on his pale hips. One hand held a spatula which Penny was having a hard time coming to terms with considering the last thing she saw gripped in it was a .45 caliber pistol.

"They're going to debrief them in the next day or two," Frost was saying, pausing to take a sip of his orange juice. "They'll be transported closer to town, possibly to a base within city limits. It'll be a long flight. He doesn't know where," Frost tilted his head wryly. "But it seems he doesn't know a lot of things."

"He's our friend," Mister J countered, eyes gleaming. "He's trying his best. He passed our gift along nicely, didn't he? Such a good sport."

Frost hummed. Mister J's attention eventually landed on Penny's form in the threshold of the hallway and he grinned, teeth flashing. Frost turned to follow his boss's gaze.

"Pennywise," Mister J welcomed. Frost pulled out the stool to his right without instruction and Mister J inclined his head. "Have a seat."

Penny accepted the invitation albeit a bit cautiously and maneuvered herself onto the stool without revealing too much beneath the hem of her t-shirt. Frost eyed her attire as Mister J retrieved a plate, scooping something onto it from the stove.

"Dressed to impress, are we?" Frost inquired. His tone didn't give anything away but Penny was able to detect the amusement on his face horribly concealed behind his glass of orange juice.

"I'm certainly impressed," Mister J remarked, leering as he deposited a plate full of food in front of Penny. She eyed its contents like it was a meal from Mars. He looked to his right-hand man. "Are you impressed, Frost? Breakfast and a show. She's _so_ accommodating."

Frost hummed again, the faintest traces of a smile dancing across his lips. Penny felt herself begin to blush and quickly swallowed the feeling down before her face resembled a tomato.

"I don't know where my dress is," she defended herself, still giving the plate a weird look. He actually made pancakes. And scrambled eggs too by the looks of it.

"Oh," Mister J bemoaned. "I knew I forgot something."

His smirk only widened at her unimpressed look before he pointed at something behind her. She turned to see a pile of clothes folded neatly on the back of his couch. Clothes she definitely hadn't been wearing the night before but still recognized to be hers.

"We figured some new clothes were in order," he clarified, voice light.

Penny's mouth fell open. They'd broken into her apartment _twice_ now?

"How do you keep getting in?" she asked, appalled.

"Actually your door was unlocked this time," Frost informed her. Penny blinked at him and then scowled. Of _course_ she forgot to lock it. "Also you had some spoiled food sitting in your microwave. The apartment smelled a bit rank. I took the liberty of spraying some Febreeze before leaving."

Penny was at a loss for words. She stared at the side of Frost's head as he happily finished his breakfast.

"I can't tell if I'm supposed to thank you or not," she admitted a bit ironically. "You did sort of enter my apartment without my permission after all."

"Considering the door was unlocked I'd say it was invitation enough for just about anyone," Frost jibed evenly. He still looked amused by her entire existence and she almost wanted to feel irritated about it. Her anger was _not_ for their enjoyment.

"Plus he brought you clothes," Mister J added, seemingly pleased with the turn the conversation took. "He was quite nice. I also gave you pancakes and you've yet to touch them," he acknowledged, raising an invisible eyebrow at her plateful. "Don't hurt my feelings, Pennywise. They have chocolate chips in them."

"Clashes horribly with the orange juice though," Frost quipped, cancelling out his distaste by taking another drink of the sour orange liquid mid-chew.

Penny picked up the fork placed near her own glass of orange juice and was about to cut a piece to eat when she heard the doorbell chime. It was loud and echoing in the front hall and she lifted her head to stare at Mister J, wondering who in the world would be ringing his doorbell. He didn't seem like the kind of person who enjoyed company.

"Ah," Mister J perked up, lifting a bejeweled hand. "That'll be the florist."

"I'm… what?"

He breezed around the island, winking at her as he did so, and Penny watched the retreat of his bare back with a look of incredulity. The _florist?_ She turned her head to give Frost a questioning look and he noticed out of the corner of his eye.

"You'll get used to it," was all he said, pulling a newspaper towards himself to skim through.

"I believe that's up for debate," she murmured, finally taking a bite of her pancakes.

They actually were quite good.

Her and Frost ate in silence while Mister J chatted with the 'florist' in the front room. Seriously, a _florist?_ Of all the things the Clown Prince of Crime would need, that one was certainly far down on the list. Penny found her curiosity getting the better of her and she made a point of nearly swallowing her breakfast whole so she could peer into the foyer and see what all of _that_ was about. It almost made her feel like a child scolded into eating the rest of their meal before they could leave the dinner table.

When she was done, she slipped off the stool and scuttled over to the couch where she snatched a pair of jeans from the pile. She quickly threw them on after checking that Frost's back was still turned before creeping towards the hallway. All she could hear was shuffling feet and the rustling of fabric.

With furrowed brows she quietly stepped forward and glanced around the corner. At the base of the stairs sat a line of colorful bouquets on top of a dresser. The florist, who turned out to be a man in a gray uniform with skittish eyes and sweat lining his brow, was clutching a clipboard to his chest as he watched Mister J warily. The green-haired man was admiring the flowers from a few feet away, pale finger tapping his red-stained lips in contemplation.

Penny stepped into the foyer and the florist noticed her first. His eyes widened a fraction before they quickly skirted away to stare at the floor instead. Mister J noticed the man's jumpy behavior and flicked his eyes in her direction.

"Perfect timing," his voice rang in the open room upon spotting her. He held out the arm with the smiling mouth tattoo which seemed to unnerve the florist. "C'mere, doll. I need your opinion on something."

Penny approached him with a look of trepidation. She understood the average person's cautiousness towards the Joker but what she didn't get was the way the florist seemed to fear her, too. Or rather, being near her. The second she got within arm's length of the man he moved quickly out of her way. Mister J seemed amused with the man's antics and she couldn't help but wonder what he did to make the man so paranoid.

"You really did call a florist," she stated. Saying it out loud only made it seem stranger.

"Of course," he agreed dismissively.

He wrapped a hand around her bicep and pulled her in front of him, holding her against his chest with his hands resting on the tops of her arms. She tensed at the sudden contact, still quite unfamiliar with his touch. His hands were as cold as ever but his chest radiated warmth against her back sending chills down her spine despite the temperature. His nose brushed against the back of her head.

"Tell me which one looks the prettiest to you," he purred, bowing his head a bit until his lips were hovering above her ear. "Which one do you like most?"

"I…" Penny's mind wasn't working. It was drawing a complete blank, forgetting most of the English language as it focused instead on his warm breath against the shell of her ear and his hips pressing against the small of her back. She never realized until now how much taller he was than her. She vaguely noticed the florist adamantly trying to look anywhere but at them, uncomfortable with their close proximity. She licked her lips and blinked at the flowers, trying to remember the question. "I… um… who are the flowers for again?"

"A friend," he answered vaguely. Not very helpful.

She never really answered. Aside from how foggy and distracted her mind currently was, she couldn't help but think how ominous the situation was starting to look. It seemed unrealistic to try and send flowers to Harley, not to mention horribly out of character for him. He didn't seem like one for romantic gestures. If they were for Harley though she assumed he would've just said so. Who was this 'friend' he was referring to?

Mister J lowered his head a bit more until his chin was resting on her shoulder as he tried to follow her line of sight. There was that smell again. Musk and aftershave. It was faint like it'd been applied the day before but the scent still lingered hours later. It was intoxicating. It almost overshadowed the fact that his cheek was pressed against hers.

"She's been staring at this one quite a bit," Mister J observed, lifting the arm resting on the opposite side of her to point at a red bouquet. "Looks like it's a winner. Thanks, dollface."

When he pressed a hard kiss to her temple Penny froze, realization striking her like a ton of bricks. He was playing her right in front of this man. All the gestures, the niceties, the closeness… it was all for show. And what made it worse was it was working. The man quickly grabbed the rejected bouquets from the dresser, apologizing profusely after accidentally bumping into her in his rush. She was too shocked to say anything back, even as Mister J blatantly told the man to 'get out' after tossing a wad of cash in his direction. He didn't even sign the form the florist offered him.

When Mister J approached the flowers and happily prodded their delicate petals Penny glared.

"I know what that was about," she said, words laced with anger. Mister J didn't seem fazed as he continued fussing over the placement of the flowers in their plastic wrap. "I'm not one of your _toys_ ," she snapped loudly, pulling him out of his trance.

He glanced at her slowly, shoulders squared at the sudden hostility. "I never said you were."

"You implied it!" she cried, waving her arms. "Pulling me close to you, _kissing_ me in front of him like that… I don't want people to think I'm one of your _girls._ Even the man last night thought I was with you," she accused, nose flared. Mister J watched her closely, face stony. The lack of remorse on his face urged her frustration on. "Is that why you picked me? Is that why you drag me everywhere? Why you tease me? Is this some kind of game to you?"

"Lower your voice," he warned her. His eyes were no longer blue but instead a deep black, irises overshadowed by their ever-growing pupils.

"No," Penny spat, feeling daring. She was too angry to stop herself now that she'd started despite the way Mister J's chest began to heave as his breathing deepened. "I don't know if it was just for show or what but I just wanted to make it clear now that I _don't_ belong to you. I don't belong to anyone. I'm my own person," she put a hand on her chest to emphasize her point.

Mister J inclined his head, eyes wide. "Is that so?"

"Yes it's _so_."

Mister J stared silently at her, teeth gritted, as if he expected her to continue.

"Do you want an award?" he retorted when it became clear she had nothing else to say.

"I want some respect," Penny said, only further annoyed by his mocking. She started listing off on her fingers, "I've been threatened, spied on, forced to do things I don't want to do… I'm being yanked around like I'm your ragdoll. And just last night I almost died because of you. Which," she threw her hands up, "I don't even know if it was genuine or if the whole thing was set up anymore. I don't know. I can't even begin to _understand_ your sense of humor. I'm helping you, yes. It's not like I have a choice but the fact of the matter is I'm still helping you. I try to be civil with you so the least you could do is show me the same respect. I'm not some girl you can play with when you're bored and I'm _certainly_ not going to be a replacement for Harley Quinn!"

She knew the second the words left her mouth she said the wrong thing. Her eyes widened a bit once her brain caught up to her lips, completely taken aback and wondering where the hell they even _came_ from.

And it was like the dam had burst because Mister J didn't hesitate to yank her forward by her arm and toss her painfully against the dresser, sending the bouquet to the floor in a mess of red petals and branches. He held her head back against the wall by cupping her throat and she yelped at the tenderness as he fitted himself between her spread legs until their cores were touching. She squirmed uncomfortably, jaw locked.

"Penny _Weiss_ has a mouth on her, doesn't she?" he snarled, voice thick and raw. His upper lip was curled, brows pulled taut, and Penny was left once again fearing for her life.

She shuddered against his intimidating form, hands trembling as she held them in midair as a peace offering. She wanted to try and push him away but he was such a solid force against her that she knew it'd be pointless to try.

"Are you satisfied now? Glad you got that off your chest? Hm?" he pressed himself closer to her, forcefully rocking his hips against hers until her jeans protested at the friction and she gasped. His warm breath wafted across her cheek in heavy, irritated puffs. "Let me tell you something, Pennywise," he traced a delicate finger across her cheekbone, pressing against the bruise there and eliciting a wince from her. His nose rubbed against hers and she could feel the tickle of his lips as they brushed her own whenever he spoke, "You don't _replace_ a Queen. Do you know what it's called when someone stands in for royalty? They're called a _regent_. But that's not what you are, Pennywise. You wanna know what you are?"

She whimpered as his hold on her throat tightened. He kept their faces close; so close that they were breathing the same air. Each time she exhaled, he inhaled. Her back was starting to cramp from the angle and her chest heaved, trying to take in the oxygen his lithe fingers were slowly depriving her of.

"You," he rubbed their noses together again and for a fleeting moment there was a fondness to it, "are here to do as I say, how I say, when I say… and in return you get to live. That was the deal. But if you _piss_ me off," he growled, an animalistic sound that trembled in her gut, digging his nails into her throat until she cried out, "it's all over. You're dead. That easy," he tilted his head, nearly slotting their mouths together. There was only a fine inch of space between them now and Penny half-expected him to kiss her. "You overestimate your worth, doll. I like you, but I don't like you that much."

Penny was panting, eyes stinging with tears. Whether it was from his grip on her neck or the imminent threat of death, she wasn't sure. Mister J's eyes calmed, a ring of blue shimmering around his dilated pupils.

"Understand?" he asked softly. She nodded as well as she could as his fingers continued to grasp her throat. He loosened his hold and she released a shuddering breath as he leaned back. "Good girl."

She fell back against the wall when he stepped out from between her legs. The sides of her throat were burning from the indents of his nails and she rubbed them with her shaking hand, sniffing wetly. Her hands wouldn't stop trembling and her throat felt like it had lodged itself in her windpipe.

Mister J glanced down at the fallen flowers and gave them a dejected look.

"Look what you made me do to the flowers. Now I have to arrange them again."

"What about last night?" Penny spoke up, voice hoarse. Despite the terror that ensnared her heart, her mind was on overdrive as it attempted to work through what just happened. Mister J rolled his shoulders, sparing her a cursory glance. "That guy that was choking me… he could've killed me. I think he came pretty close but you kept it from happening," she paused for a moment, willing her heart to stop hammering inside her chest. "Why didn't you let him?"

Mister J's jaw clenched, nostrils flaring.

"He was going to _die_ anyway," he retorted. "It just so happens that I managed to kill him before he killed you. And," he held up a finger as he inched towards her, chin held high, "another part of the deal I don't think I mentioned: you only get to die when I say so. The only person that's going to be killing you is me," he shook his head, speaking slowly, "And that is no mercy. It will be slow and painful until you're begging for release," he leaned in close when he reached her, voice a soft octave above a whisper. "So I suggest next time you decide to get snarky, you think before you speak. I've already let you say _so_ much. We don't want people to think I'm playing favorites, do we?"

Penny gave a small shake of her head.

His words somehow managed to relax her shoulders and she didn't know why. What he said made sense in a chaotic, nonsensical sort of way. She said something he didn't like and it made him upset. It didn't make it okay for him to hurt her—it was _eons_ away from being okay—but at least she understood why he did it. She should have known better. She was supposed to reign in her temper because she knew he wouldn't reign in his. In a very dysfunctional sort of way Penny figured that up until this point the two of them had been getting along. Well, as well as they possibly could have given the circumstances. The last thing she wanted was to make matters worse for herself. And making an enemy out of him was a sure way to do that.

"I'm sorry," she admitted, surprising herself. The rational side of her brain screamed that she shouldn't have been the one apologizing. The other side of her brain, the part that kind of learned as it went along, told her she knew better than to say something rash given how unstable she knew he was. It was her fault for provoking him, something she told herself she'd never do. "What I said was out of line," she continued, speaking carefully while avoiding eye contact. Despite the fact that her brain almost physically protested at her for apologizing, she meant what she said in that regard. Harley Quinn was a topic she knew was off limits. "I… didn't mean to upset you."

If Mister J was taken aback at all by her apology he didn't show it. He didn't seem to respond to it in any way and Penny took that as a good sign, all things considered.

"Everything alright in here?"

Penny started at the sound of Frost's voice. He was peeking his head into the foyer from the hallway, hard lines creasing his forehead. Mister J turned his head but didn't face the man. It looked as though his breathing was gradually returning to normal.

"We just had a disagreement," Mister J's eyes met hers and Penny almost couldn't meet the wordless exchange. "It's settled now."

"Ah," Frost acknowledged, void of any surprise. Penny wouldn't have been shocked if he'd been standing there the whole time witnessing it firsthand.

Mister J ran his tongue over his silver-capped teeth. He gave Penny a hard stare, eyes flicking between her and the fallen flowers. He rotated his jaw in silent meditation like he wanted to tell her to clean up the mess before he moved to retrieve them himself. As he organized the bouquet in his hands, he called over his shoulder to Penny.

"We're goin' on a bit of a fieldtrip today, Pennywise. Frost has a surprise for us that I'm particularly excited about," he said. "If you wanna shower do it now. We leave in an hour."

Penny moved to slip past him but paused at his side. A strand of green hair had fallen down into his face, tickling the bridge of his nose as he bunched the flowers together. Penny bit the inside of her lip.

"The pancakes were good," she said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Mister J side-eyed her. "Of course they were, Frost made them. He's a regular Betty fuckin' Crocker."

She almost smiled but then she remembered the scratches he left on her throat and couldn't bring herself to do it.

* * *

Penny spent the majority of her time with her face under a stream of ice cold water. It wasn't nearly as effective as an ice pack but it was better than nothing and it didn't waste the hot water, not that she expected Mister J would care.

The bruises on her face were still hideous after she got out. The only upside was that the purple wasn't quite as vivid and the green was slowly being replaced with yellow. She didn't have any makeup with her though so she wasn't able to hide it. She could only hope that wherever this 'field trip' would take them wouldn't involve interacting with the public. On one side of her neck sat four nasty red crescent-shaped indents from his fingernails, incredibly prominent and noticeable, while the handprint from the night before had faded quite a bit. She could only imagine the sight she would make to onlookers.

She couldn't find a brush so she just ran her fingers through her wet hair with no choice but to let it air dry. Dressed in her own t-shirt retrieved by Frost that actually fit her and her jeans she made her way back downstairs. When she was halfway down Mister J appeared around the corner, marching with a skip in his step. When he saw her he tossed something shiny and dark in her direction. She quickly caught it, unraveling it and holding it up. It was a leather jacket that glimmered in the sun in a shade of deep purple.

"Bit nippy outside today," he called over his shoulder as he glided through the foyer and into the hall.

He was wearing a similar jacket, same color with a slightly different texture, except this one trailed behind him at his ankles. She eyed the jacket he tossed her again. It was clearly too small to fit him. Not thinking too much of it, she slipped her arms through the jacket sleeves and pulled it tight before descending the stairs the rest of the way and following him into the kitchen. Frost seemed to be waiting for both of them by the glass door.

"Time to go," Mister J announced. Upon closer inspection she saw that he put a white dress shirt on underneath his long jacket, gold chains dangling mid-torso from around his neck.

"Is this what the flowers are for?" Penny asked as they winded through the cars in the garage. They approached a familiar black SUV. Frost held the door open for the two of them. It seemed Mister J was going to join her in the backseat.

"Not this time," Mister J declined. They settled in before Frost closed the door and circled around the front to hop into the driver's seat. He started the car and quickly backed out onto the winding driveway. "I've not met this particular friend yet but I sure am eager to."

The drive was quiet. Penny laid herself against the door on the opposite side of Mister J whose sole focus was on a pink-cased cell phone. She briefly wondered if it was Harley's phone but shook the thought from her head. The last time she mentioned Harley Quinn, and sequentially thought of her, she was thrown against a dresser. Thinking back to it left a bitter taste in her mouth so she instead focused on the passing scenery, taking note this time of where they drove. Mister J hadn't been wrong—there really weren't any other houses for miles. It was all green hills and blue skies as far as the eye could see. She couldn't help but wonder if this made his location easier or harder to find.

After passing through downtown Gotham they turned onto a more suburban road on the city's outskirts. Houses with white picket fences and freshly mown lawns decorated the road on either side, a few kids riding bikes along the sidewalks under their parents' watchful eyes as they watered the plants. It was an almost too-perfect sight that Penny wasn't familiar with. Her parents never made enough money to raise her in a neighborhood as well off as this one appeared to be. Most of the houses looked newly painted with clean cars parked in their driveways. It baffled her how easily some people lived like this.

Their SUV pulled up alongside a neat green-colored house. There didn't seem to be anyone outside down this particular stretch of road, giving Mister J free reign to slide out of the vehicle with all the grace and elegance of a snake slithering out of its tunnel. Penny opened her door and stepped out, peering up at the two-story house. What were they doing here?

Frost and Mister J were halfway up the path to the porch when Penny blinked out of her stupor. She trailed along behind them, not in much of a hurry to catch up as she watched the scene unfold. Mister J approached the front door, rocking slightly from heel to toe as he lifted a knuckle.

"Knock, knock!" he called in a sing-song voice. He didn't wait for an answer and instead turned the handle, surprising Penny when the door gave way. It wasn't locked.

He waltzed inside and Frost followed, leaving the door open for Penny. She eyed the house's porch, spotting a swing set and a wicker chair, before stepping in after the suited man. She closed the door behind her and allowed herself to scan the front room. Nothing seemed very out of the ordinary about it; nice furniture, a china cabinet, and a fountain with a delicate stream of water running along its exterior. Who did this place belong to?

She followed the sound of footsteps down a narrow hallway, spotting a few pictures along the walls. Some were clearly vacation photos, others were professional, but a good ninety percent of them involved a middle-aged brunette couple. The woman Penny didn't recognize but there was something familiar about the man. It could've been that he just had that face. The kind that you thought looked like somebody you once met or saw in passing but really it was just because they had very average features. But she didn't think that was it. She was almost positive she'd seen his face plastered on the front of a magazine somewhere or maybe in an article she read once.

Pushing the thought away for now she continued onward, hearing what sounded like a boot repeatedly kicking a closed door. When she reached Frost she peeked around his arm (he was also abnormally tall she noticed, even more so than Mister J) to see the green-haired man standing before a crème-colored door with dirty black streaks decorating the door's base from the toe of his boot.

"Pizza delivery!" he called, wry smirk curving up the side of his pale face.

A few seconds later there was the sound of a lock turning followed by the door being pulled open from the other side. Penny was barely able to see anything from the darkness but she could tell it led into the basement. The person who opened the door leaned forward into the light and Penny swallowed down a yelp, jumping back at the sight of a white mask with an amateur black mouth painted on its front where a person's lips would be. It displayed a set of razor sharp teeth and the fact that there were no eyes or nose made Penny incredibly unsettled.

Mister J pushed past the man and clamored down the stairs with all the swagger and anticipation of someone who just won the lottery. Frost trailed after him in a slightly less enthusiastic manner and Penny considered staying upstairs until the white mask turned expectantly in her direction. She scuttled down the stairs and the white-masked man closed the door behind her, turning the lock back into place. The hair was beginning to stand on the back of Penny's neck as she scoped out the basement. Again, it seemed like your average basement with concrete walls, wooden support beams, and a washer and a drier for laundry. It was a bit colder down there though, causing Penny to pull the jacket tighter around her frame.

She kept an eye on Frost's back as he weaved around storage boxes, an old bicycle and some gardening tools to reach another doorway. What awaited inside made Penny slap a hand to her mouth as she stopped so suddenly the white-masked man rammed into her back. She gasped, jumping aside to let him through. She hadn't realized he'd been walking so close to her. He didn't try to maneuver around her and instead waited once again for her to move forward first. She did so with hesitation, glancing at the object of everyone's attention in the center of the small room.

There sat a woman with tear-stained cheeks and mussed hair, the same woman Penny saw upstairs in all the photographs, bound to a chair and gagged. She was beginning to realize why the man looked so familiar. It must've been Dr. Van Chris, the scientist they were so interested in. She'd never met him in person and only saw his photograph a handful of times but she was almost positive now. And sitting not five feet away from her was his wife, sobbing silently as Mister J kneeled in front of her, looking for all intents and purposes like she was a prize he won at the fair.

Penny was going to be sick. This was her fault.

"Looky, looky what we got here," Mister J sang. "She's pretty," he announced, glancing up at a black-masked man with a gleam in his eye and a large smile on his face. "Bit like my mom though. She's got a stiff upper lip like she had and that doesn't really turn my crank."

He tilted his head, examining the woman closely as she watched him through tearful eyes. Her shoulders shook as she cried silently and Penny spotted a red mark marring the woman's right cheek. Penny wrapped her arms around herself, face scrunched up.

"Has she been fed?" Mister J asked, looking to the black-masked man with his face twisted in concern. Penny narrowed her eyes. He glanced back at the woman. "My deepest apologies. They can be real nasty sometimes," he stage-whispered, subtly pointing to the men surrounding her as if they couldn't hear him. "Frost, be a gentleman and get the lovely lady a glass of water. She looks absolutely _parched_."

Frost backed out of the room, eyes momentarily meeting Penny's before he headed up the stairs. Mister J continued watching the woman from every angle and she noticeably recoiled every time he leaned closer.

"I bet you're wondering why we're here," he finally said, heaving a sigh. "It's all a bit complicated, you see. Not a lot of time to explain it all. But to make a long story short, your husband is a _very_ important man."

The woman's cries quieted down and her expression of fear was quickly replaced with alarm at the mention of her spouse.

"Yeah," he shrugged a bit with a _tsk_. "It's just one of those things, y'know? Casualty of war and all that. But if he cooperates then he's got nothing to worry about," Mister J commented, voice light. He pointed a theatrical finger at her. "That's what you're here for. See, I've been made aware," Mister J glanced over his shoulder at Penny's stiff form, eyes alight with mirth, "that his lab has taken… certain precautions so I can't exactly get in easily. All I need you to do is tell him to let me inside. Simple as that."

The woman's eyes were glossy and after such a time of imprisonment and exhaustion the emotions were almost too easy to read on her face. She was obviously suspicious of his words.

"Whatdya say?"

Penny was unsure if it was the way Mister J uttered the word in such a playful tone but the woman began crying again. Penny felt sympathetic towards the woman, feeling a sorrow clench her heart at the whimpers. Mister J huffed through his nose, obviously finding the woman's blubbering off-putting and tedious. Before he had the chance to lose his temper Frost reentered the room with a glass of water held in his hand. He presented it to Mister J who stood from his crouched position, grateful for the distraction, and accepted it.

"Good man," he raised the glass at Frost before spinning on his heel to gaze down at the woman. He held the glass on display in front of her as an offering to which she stared at between half-lidded, soaked eyes. "Thirsty?" he asked in an innocently curious voice. He lifted the glass to his lips and took a generous sip, pulling back with a relieved sigh. "Ah, nice and cold."

In a flash he tossed the full glass at the woman's face, drenching her in water. She jumped and sputtered behind her gag, blinking rapidly at the water that trickled down into them from her sopping hair. Mister J outstretched his arms and the air felt colder at his change in demeanor.

"There, isn't that better? You look hydrated already."

He pulled his arm back like he was preparing to throw a hardball and turned quickly, thrusting the empty glass as hard as he could at the far wall. It shattered into millions of tiny crystal pieces that glittered under the light, causing Penny to hastily jump away before any shards could nick her. The woman sobbed loudly, the gargled sound muffled behind the cloth in her mouth.

"Let's get down to business."

Mister J lashed his hand forward and ripped the gag from her mouth. Immediately her shrilling cries filled the room, echoing painfully off the walls to the point that Penny had to cringe.

"Now, now," he scolded, words both gravely and harmonious before backhanding her across the face. Her head whipped to the side, sagging against her shoulder. "None of that."

"What—do you—want?" she wept between gasps. Mister J glanced around, eyes wide.

"I thought we already established that?"

"Please," she begged. "Please, just let me go."

"No can do," Mister J piped, crouching in front of her once more.

Her tired, red-rimmed eyes met his. The red mark on her cheek looked angrier than before as it swelled into a welt. She looked broken. Penny swallowed thickly and looked away, unable to bear the way the woman's face fell and crumpled. This was her fault.

"See, my friends here have been watching you since yesterday. Your husband was home last night and then left quite early this morning. Word on the street is he's been spending most of his time at his lab cooking up some super-secret weapon for the big boys he works for. So," Mister J inclined his head, green hair shimmering under the dangling lightbulb. "My theory is that he won't be home for another day or two. You know how those guys ride your asses. Real strict with time management. Blah, blah, blah," his head rocked with each word. Penny could almost picture him rolling his eyes. "I'm almost inclined to feel sorry for him but, y'know, he's kinda working against me at the moment. Not on purpose but devil's in the details and I don't care for those. Gotta stop him one way or another. Point is you're not gonna be missed. You're probably gonna be the last thing on his mind which works in our favor.

"Now, we can either do this the hard way which involves killing you and torturing him," he casually listed off on two bejeweled fingers. Her eyes widened considerably, mouth falling open. "And really, that's so time consuming. I'm a very impatient man. I'd rather go the easy route which is you giving him a little nudge. He lets us in, we shut everything down, everybody lives and it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood."

Mister J glanced over his shoulder, blue eyes catching Penny's. He reached forward enough to grab onto her hand, tugging her to his side. He stood, circling an arm around Penny's waist as she hugged her arms around herself.

"This is Pennywise. She's a little spitfire," he purred, nuzzling her blonde hair with his nose. The satisfaction was evident in the vindictive curve of his lips; he knew how much this was affecting her and he was reveling in it. He twirled a strand of her hair around his pointer finger before leaning his head against the top of hers, gazing down at the terrified woman. "She's gonna be helping me out with your husband. She'll probably be with him the most because she's one of those brainy types. You obviously know the kind. I don't know about you but they _really_ get me going," he licked his silver teeth.

Penny felt the woman's eyes everywhere on her—her face, the bruises, her neck—but she refused to make eye contact, instead focusing on the ground near her bound feet. She breathed deeply through her nose, trying to stifle the tears that were stinging her eyes. This was her punishment for that morning. At first she thought it was his violence, his threats, but no. This was it. He knew that hurting her emotionally was much more effective than hurting her physically.

"Are you—going to take me there with you?" the woman asked through a hiccup.

"Oh no," Mister J drawled with a shake of his head, running his fingers along the shoulder of Penny's jacket. "Too much liability there. No, we'll have a live feed transmitting from here to him. He'll get a nice eyeful and you, being the cooperative pet I think you are, will tell him what to do. And if he doesn't comply," Mister J twirled his free hand airily before chuckling, "well. I guess that'll put your wedding vows to shit. What a shame that would be."

"You're just going to— _keep_ me here?" she sputtered, voice edging on hysteric.

Mister J looked like he was considering her question for a moment. He hummed.

"Yes, it looks that way," he nodded, retrieving his arm from around Penny's shoulders but not before running his fingers through her hair. He tugged on a few strands and she knew it wasn't by accident. It was an acknowledgement. _You've been punished. Now behave._ "That sounds about right. It'll only be for about a day or two. Don't worry, you'll have company," he motioned towards the black and white-masked men with a maniacal grin. "I'm sure they'll find ways of keeping you entertained. You'll have plenty of time to get well acquainted with one another. I'm counting on you," he pointed a thin finger at her before waggling it. "Don't let me down."

Mister J tickled her cheek with his finger, causing her to flinch violently at the contact and start sputtering again, before he spun around. He bestowed Penny with a charming wink and a flash of silver teeth. He looked pleased.

"You ready dollface?" he asked, biting his lower lip as he raised his nonexistent eyebrows. "I think I'm actually feeling some pizza right now."

The last thing Penny saw before she was led away was the woman squeezing her eyes shut, her cries now muffled by a closing door as the black-masked man crouched over her with a sharp blade.

 _Her fault._

Mister J's eyes narrowed when they met hers and his expression said it all.

 _Your fault._

* * *

 **So I was going to wait a little bit longer to post this chapter just to keep about a week between it and the last one but I wanted to say a few things to you guys and didn't know how else to do it. First of all, I just enabled PMs. No idea why they were disabled but they aren't anymore so if any of you want to send me a message, please feel free. Secondly, I just wanted to let you all know I'm available to read and review stories. I can't be a beta because I don't have the time for it but I love giving feedback on writing. If you have a story (preferrably _Suicide Squad_ related) that you'd like some honest opinion on, be it writing style or grammar or plot, I'll be glad to do so. I like giving detailed reviews so if you're looking for something longer, I'm your girl. I'm sure there are other more skilled writers on this site you could go to but I just wanted you to know I'm available. And lastly, I'd love to have some recommendations on fics to read! They don't have to be in relation to _Suicide Squad_ (though I definitely won't say no), they can be anything! I'm hoping to start reading more soon :)**

 **Again, massive thank you to the favorites, follows and reviews this story continues to get. It's so motivating for me knowing you guys are interested.**

 **Huge thank you to** **The Beatles Babydoll22 , 1MoreInMe1, Guest, TheGhostWriter91, and Love Fiction 2016** **for what you all had to say!** **xXMoonheartXx : Thanks! I like to think we're on the same page regarding the Joker's demeanor. That's precisely why I wrote this chapter. He's been going so easy on her lately that it was about time he put her in her place. Though unfortunate for Penny, it reminds her (and us) how cold he can be. Anna: Thank you! There will be a camaraderie between J and Penny but like I said this has already been planned as more of a toxic romance. Glad to hear you're still sticking around!**


	7. Vincent's Pizzeria

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the DC Universe nor any recognizable storylines from _Suicide Squad_. I only own my character(s) and the plot of this story. This is rated T for language, possible gore and violence, and mature scenes.**

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 **7\. VINCENT'S PIZZERIA**

Penny was silent as they pulled away from the house.

There was an air of self-righteousness surrounding Mister J, a pleased smile tainting his red lips as if he couldn't have been more satisfied with the outcome of their visit. Every few minutes Penny could feel a pair of eyes on her and each time she looked up she spotted Frost's brown eyes gleaming at her from the rearview mirror. Though she could only see a portion of his face, she could tell he wasn't necessarily concerned for her well-being but more so gauging the aftermath to see how she was handling the situation. The guilt swarming Penny's conscience had shortened her temper and the extra attention only managed to irritate her rather than reassure her.

Once their SUV pulled onto a busy road in downtown Gotham, Frost glanced back at Mister J.

"Did you want to order take-out?"

Mister J continued watching the scenery with a contemplative look upon his face as he answered, "Actually, I feel like dining in today."

This only succeeded in annoying Penny further. She would have to deal with yet another public eating establishment in poor company.

"Where would you like to go? _Carluccio's_? _Anthony's_?"

Mister J faced forward, tapping his chin with his pointer finger.

"Let's go to the pizzeria," he suggested. Out of the corner of her eye Penny spotted Frost giving him another look in the rearview mirror, one she wasn't able to decipher, before he nodded. She didn't understand how he immediately knew which location Mister J was referring to when all he had to go on was 'the pizzeria'. It could have meant any number of places. Mister J flashed Penny a bright smile, one she refused to directly acknowledge. "I hope you're hungry, Pennywise. I have a feeling today's lunch is going to be on the house."

"Another one of your friends?" she asked dryly, unable to resist commenting on it.

"Something like that."

Penny was starting to feel a little too acquainted with Mister J's social group.

They pulled up to a nice restaurant along the strip. As they passed its front, Penny peeked through the tinted window to see a large sign in red and gold flowing letters that read _Vincent's_. Beneath it in smaller white and black print were the words _Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria_ that seemed to float over a large round pizza pie in the hands of a smiling boy dressed in a chef's crème-colored apron. Penny was surprised she'd never been there before or even heard of the place. The sign had faded greatly, showcasing its age, but that didn't seem to faze the crowded tables in front of its windows and the way its restaurant bustled inside with lively customers.

"Send out some invites, Frost," Mister J instructed lightly as they pulled around back. It was obvious he had no intentions of being seen. "I'm sure everyone else would like a free lunch as well."

Frost was putting a phone up to his ear as Mister J hopped out the door the second the vehicle stopped. Penny pushed open her door and stepped out as well, squinting up at the dirty brick wall. She glanced down the line of restaurants, having never actually seen how they looked from behind. There was a large communal dumpster resting against the adjacent wall of the alley, the stale scent of rotting fare permeating the air. It would've been much more unpleasant had the appetizing scent of cooking food not covered it. Each restaurant had a single back door that she assumed had once been white in color but quickly succumbed to rust from the weather with a single light dangling from above them.

Frost slipped out of the driver's seat a minute later and Mister J circled around the front of the car before marching towards the back door. Frost gestured Penny in front of him and she cautiously followed Mister J who yanked the door open. Penny didn't have much time to mull over how unwise it was that the door was unlocked as she slipped through the threshold.

Immediately the scent of baking bread, herbal red sauce, garlic and flour met her nose and her mouth watered. The kitchen was as much alive as its restaurant with various chefs scampering about the area carrying ingredients or trays. Three large ovens lined the far wall next to a long table where fresh dough was being rolled and powdered. There were two large stoves resting against the back wall occupied with large pots and pans over almost every burner. Penny's eyes couldn't settle on one thing, skirting about the room every few seconds when something else caught their attention. She never worked at a restaurant before so all of this was very new to her.

Mister J moved with a purpose, stepping into the kitchen and disrupting the natural flow with no remorse. A few chefs jumped back in surprise, others eyed him warily from their spots. None confronted him or asked him to leave. Penny would've been surprised but she figured they knew better.

He stepped up behind a man stirring one of the pots to their left. He lifted a spoon to his lips, swirling the flavor in his mouth before muttering to himself and asking the man next to him for parsley. When he was met with no response, he looked to his right to find no one there. With furrowed brows, he turned and came nose-to-nose with Mister J. His olive skin soon mirrored that of the clown's hair and his eyes widened.

"M-Mister J!" he said, startled. His dark eyes darted around the room nervously. "What are you doing here?"

His words were coated with an Italian infliction, though its prominence was subdued by a slight New Jersey lilt from his time spent in Gotham City.

Mister J's pale fingers danced along the edge of the stove.

"I was in the mood for some pizza," he flashed his metal teeth. "I thought I'd visit my buddy who's known for making the best."

The man mouthed wordlessly for a moment.

"Of course!" he agreed, masking his fear with forced enthusiasm. "Of course! Please, be my guest. I will make you something special! But first, I must show you our new pasta dishes," he grinned before gesturing to the multitude of pots boiling noodles. " _Penne all'arrabbiata_ , tortellini, Spaghetti Bolognese, maybe some _Pansotti alla genovese_ … hm?"

Not once did Mister J's eyes stray from the man's.

"So tempting," he purred. Sweat was beginning to coat the man's brow and it was clearly not from the steam. "I've got something else in mind, though."

He took another step towards the man, face deadly.

"Tell everyone to leave."

"I-I'm sorry?" the man asked, aghast. Mister J tilted his head.

"Did I stutter?"

"They can't leave!" he exclaimed in a spout of bravery, waving his arms towards the front room. "I've got a business to run!"

"So do I," Mister J countered, voice low. "C'mon Vinny boy, do as I say."

Penny's eyebrows rose. She knew now who this man was. He was the one who orchestrated the break-in. Her eyes flickered between the two men standing tall, sensing the tension in the air. She assumed at any moment things could take a turn for the worst. Penny was almost taken aback that Mister J wanted everyone else in the kitchen to leave. Didn't he usually thrive with an audience?

Vinny—or Vincent, she assumed, how fitting that he named his own restaurant after himself—held Mister J's gaze evenly for a good thirty seconds before it began to waver.

"Alright, everyone out."

His voice wasn't loud but it rang like a megaphone in the room nonetheless and his employees didn't need to be told twice. They quickly left the room, letting themselves out the back door. Clearly they valued their lives more than a day's pay. Vincent's eyes still holding Mister J's he posed a question,

"What about everyone else?"

Penny assumed he meant those still eating in the restaurant.

"They're already taken care of."

Eyes wide, Penny swiftly looked out through the opening into the restaurant's dining room. With surprise she noted that all the tables were vacant and that two men in black suits, one with a vibrant unicorn mask and another with a Batman mask, were standing guard. To her relief she didn't see any bodies spilled over the floor, but she did spot the gleam of a gun's barrel tucked into Batsy's suit jacket.

Vincent's face was a mixture of exasperation and rage.

"What if they go to police? What if I get blamed for this? My business will suffer," he glared.

"They won't," Mister J assured him. "And even if they did, you have access to the names of every person who's ever dined with you. We could take care of them."

"Yes," Vincent murmured, sounding weary and unwilling to argue with him. "I suppose we could."

Mister J pouted, something Penny found he did often for no apparent reason, before stepping away from the man. He made a point of eyeing the contents of the kitchen as he spoke.

"Now, you and I got a score to settle, Vinny my man…"

Vincent fiddled with the spoon he still held in his hand. "And what score would that be?"

Mister J spun slowly on his heel. "I don't appreciate when people play dumb with me. I know you're not very smart but I don't consider you stupid," he approached the man from around the center table full of diced vegetables and spice shakers. "I know it was you."

Vincent licked his lips. "Know what was me?"

Despite Mister J's beliefs Penny thought this man was very stupid. Though his intelligence seemed to make a miraculous recovery the second Mister J lifted a gleaming knife from the table at his side. He examined the sharp blade, flashing it underneath the fluorescent lights and Vincent visibly stiffened, recoiling every time the reflection stung his eyes.

"For a man who claims to be a master of invisibility, you sure do know how to make quite the scene," he turned the knife over in his hands, lips pursed as he considered something. Vincent looked nauseous as he watched the knife rotate, probably imagining what it would feel like twisting in his gut. "But maybe it's just the men working for you who know nothing about stealth. Or a willingness not to rat you out," he narrowed his eyes. "Why'd you do it?"

Vincent's cheeks were red from the stress as he sighed, abandoning his charade. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve before speaking.

"We need the money," he explained, fingers shaking. Penny didn't know what she was expecting when she thought of Vincent and what he represented, but it certainly wasn't this—a slightly overweight man with a kind face and skittish eyes. She pictured something of a mobster, those Mister J typically interacted with. She had to wonder what this man was hiding. "It is becoming harder and harder to keep this place afloat. The economy is crashing and we have to raise our prices just to keep our doors open."

"Isn't that why you went into business with me?" Mister J countered, unaffected by the man's story. "Am I not the one who keeps your establishment 'afloat'? You deliver, I pay. You don't deliver, you pay me back. It's an easy system and a generous one at that. I've let you off easy. I took my money back fair and square," he licked his teeth, cocking his head at the man with an innocently clueless expression. "Do you not find me fair?"

Vincent sputtered a bit. "If you had just given me some more time—"

" _Time_ ," Mister J spat. His lip trembled, curling up into a snarl before he lifted his arm and thrust the knife into the wooden tabletop with heavy force. Penny flinched along with Vincent at the harsh sound that resonated in the room as the wood split to accompany the blade. He pulled his hand away and the knife remained standing, embedded deeply into the surface. "All anyone ever wants is _time_. I don't have to give you _anything_. I don't like people who go back on their word. I don't _like_ them," his teeth clenched, glowering at Vincent.

"I apologize," Vincent said in an attempt to sway Mister J's hatred. "I deeply apologize for my poor judgment. Take anything you want!" he brandished his hands, waving them towards the clown. "Lunch is on me. Dinner is on me. Anytime you return you can have whatever you wish, free of charge!"

Mister J's face scrunched. "Did you get the message I asked your man to deliver to you? The one who deliberately called you out to save his own skin?" Mister J tilted his head. "Well, some of his skin."

"No," Vincent answered warily.

Mister J hummed. "Shame. It was such a good message, too."

Penny noticed Mister J playing with one of the rings on his right pointer finger. He was carefully twisting it, the diamonds twinkling whenever they caught the light. She only had time to narrow her eyes at this before he was lifting the hand, curling it into a fist. He slammed it into Vincent's face and Penny jumped, wincing at the sound as it surely cracked his cheekbone.

Vincent fell back against the stove, howling as he cupped his cheek. He staggered into the boiling pot, inches away from knocking it to the ground and he had the good sense to lean away from the heat as he held his face with a groan. Penny clutched her own bruised cheek, the memory of the pain shooting through her skull.

Mister J flexed his hand, his pointer finger red and angry, and Penny finally understood the purpose of adjusting the jewel. The face of the ring probably did the most damage on Vincent's cheek, though it also meant that some damage was done to Mister J's finger from the impact. She wouldn't be surprised if it was broken. Nevertheless, Mister J's face gave nothing away aside from the satisfied smile that spread across his lips at Vincent's agony. He shook his hand and let it fall to his side before glancing over at Penny.

"You wanna have a go?" he asked, nonexistent eyebrow raised. He brandished his uninjured hand towards the wailing man. "By all means, be my guest."

Penny eyed the man who continued to whimper as he slumped against one of his counters.

"Um, no thank you," she denied hesitantly. As much as she felt the men from the night before deserved her anger, she didn't feel the same for Vincent. He may have indirectly harmed her but she couldn't bring herself to act upon it. She just wasn't that kind of person.

"You sure?" Mister J asked. "One of his men did try to kill you, after all. It's the least you could do. C'mon, one good swing," he waited until Penny's hesitance wore his patience then. He gave a half-shrug. "Suit yourself. Frost?" he looked to the man standing behind Penny.

Frost shook his head, face full of thinly veiled amusement. "He's all yours, boss."

"All mine," Mister J echoed, walking forward to pull the man upright by his lapel with a luring grin. "I like the sound of that," the man groaned again, pulling his hand away to display a large purple-black bruise already forming along his cheekbone. Mister J admired the blemish for a few seconds before thrusting the man in Frost's direction. Vincent stumbled and Frost was quick to catch him before he lost his footing. "Take him to Charlie. Tell him to bring him home and I'll deal with him later."

Frost nodded and forcibly escorted the stuttering Italian man out of his kitchen. Penny watched him go with a hint of remorse, though his fate bothered her less than Dr. Van Chris's wife's. She wasn't even involved. Vincent, however, chose this life whether it was a last resort or not and he should've known the repercussions.

"Now that the trash has been taken out," Mister J smirked before theatrically motioning towards the kitchen. "What did I say, Pennywise? Did I call it? Lunch is served. Let's see what we got cookin'."

He took a pair of thick mitts designed to withstand the heat of the coal brick ovens—if the circumstances were different Penny may have found the way the gloves looked on him really amusing—and used a board to retrieve the pizzas that had been cooking longer than their allotted time by the looks of their crispy brown crusts. He emptied all three ovens and laid each pie out on display before pulling the mitts off.

"Bon appétit."

"You know," Penny remarked as she approached the pizzas. They did smell delicious. "These pizzas probably belong to customers who already paid for them."

"You snooze you lose," Mister J retorted breezily. "Which one do you want? I'm feelin' the meat lovers myself."

Penny glanced at the pie he was referring to. She spotted multiple different toppings on it such as pepperoni, sausage and bacon. She didn't care much for sausage and skimmed over the other pizzas. One looked to be vegetarian and the other simply pepperoni. Mister J slipped around her to grab a tray to slide the pizzas on which he did so smoothly and without incident. If Penny didn't know any better she'd say Mister J was a veteran pizza chef. If only the idea didn't sound completely ridiculous. He left the vegetarian pizza alone and Penny was left baffled, wondering how he knew which one she'd choose.

"C'mon, Pennywise."

He led her into the restaurant. Many tables were full of abandoned food, some of which had hardly been touched, and Mister J made a point of selecting one of the larger booths. Without an ounce of grace he shoved the remnants of the last customer's meal onto the floor, plates clattering loudly on the ground and food splattering messily, before sitting the two pies down. He deposited himself bodily into one side of the booth and Penny carefully sat across from him.

According to the utensils sat at each table and the pattern in which they were left, Penny figured this type of pizza was meant to be eaten with a fork and knife. Mister J, however, didn't seem too concerned with this tradition as he stuffed half a slice in his mouth, grease coating his fingers. With an inward shrug because she couldn't ignore her growling stomach, Penny daintily lifted a slice to her lips and took a much smaller bite.

"Yummy, isn't it?"

Penny nodded. It really was.

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Penny wanted to feel guilty for eating comfortably while everyone else had been forced out of the building, probably terrified, but she'd felt so much guilt lately that it seemed she just didn't have room for any more. Judging by the way the restaurant was emptied without her knowledge, she figured Charlie and Batsy hadn't brandished their guns whilst evacuating. If they had, there probably would've been chaos and alerting the police would've been inevitable. Obviously they were smarter than that. Still, she could only imagine what thoughts had run through the customers' minds when the two masked men had entered.

Penny thought back to that morning and swallowed the rest of her bite.

"So what's the plan so far with… Task Force X?" she had to bite her tongue to not say 'Harley'. "I heard you talking about it this morning."

Mister J flexed the hand he punched Vincent with. He moved his pointer finger a bit, testing its strength and proving it wasn't broken. But it was still a very angry shade of red.

"They're on their way back here," he said, fiddling with the jewels on his hand a moment longer before grabbing another slice of pizza. "Flight'll be a couple hours. Our guess is they'll be locked up again as soon as they touch down. We've got a friend on the inside who's gonna tell us when they arrive."

Without asking Penny already knew that 'friend' was the man she saw Mister J threaten yesterday evening at the casino.

"So this man," Penny began, trying to wrap her head around everything. "Is he with her now or does he just relay the information to you as he gets it?"

"He doesn't work for Waller," Mister J said, tracing the rim of his glass with his fingertip. "He works for _Belle Reve_ which stacks the deck in our favor. Not that I'd be too concerned. He has more incentive to fear me than that bitch. I just like when I have time to focus on other more important things."

Penny frowned, unable to connect the dots. "So if he was here last night…"

Mister J rolled his eyes, his head partially rolling with them.

"Even though he doesn't report to Waller she still likes to keep tabs on all the grunts working her case. That's why he was here. He flew back to Louisiana not long after he left the casino."

"Is he flying back with them?"

Penny thought it seemed pointless to have him fly to Gotham to meet with Waller and then fly back to Louisiana, only to have him return to Gotham not a day later. She wasn't even sure Amanda Waller was stationed in Gotham City. At least, not permanently. The only real reason she had to be in Gotham was Van Chris Laboratories. Which, come to think of it, made perfect sense.

"Doubt it."

"Are you going to go after her when you get word that they're here?" she asked lightly. She felt she had the right to know since she was in on it now. And after the confrontation with Vincent, Mister J had mellowed out enough that she figured she wouldn't get into trouble for asking anyway.

"No," Mister J answered around a mouth full of pizza. "Too much work. She'll be watched around the clock."

"You wouldn't be able to get past them?" Penny furrowed her brows.

"We would," he opposed. "But it'd be stupid to try. When their mission starts they'll have much less security. They'll be out in the open. Easy targets," his eyes met hers. "That's when we come in."

She bit the inside of her cheek, staring down at her half-eaten slice. A thought had been nagging her ever since the night before.

"What exactly do you still need me for?" she asked carefully, peeking up at him through the hair that had fallen down into her face. The question didn't seem to bother Mister J, urging her to continue. "I mean, I gave you the names you wanted. I've done what you've asked. I just… don't know what else I can do for you."

"I don't know, Pennywise," Mister J lamented, eyes alight with mischief. "I kinda like having you around. Think I might just keep you."

Penny mouthed wordlessly much like Vincent had earlier, eyes agape. The shock was clear on her face and Mister J's lips curved into a smirk, enjoying the way her cheeks flushed in anger.

"Plus I'm gonna need your help with the doctor," he added, finally sparing her the turmoil of lifelong servitude to the Clown Prince.

Penny blinked at him as her anger slowly ebbed away.

"Help?" she frowned. Mister J huffed a quick breath.

"If he doesn't play nice, we're still going to need a way to disable the nanites. Even though I'd much prefer someone who has a degree in nanotechnology," he said mockingly as if it didn't really matter to him at all. "I'll take someone who's read a few papers on them. You're our fallback. Plus, with your feminine wiles and more-innocent-than-a-puppy face, I'm sure you'll be able to sway him just as well if not better than his wife."

"So you want me to make him do it," she narrowed her eyes.

"I didn't say that. Mostly because I don't think you have a threatening bone in your body. Think of it as befriending a man in need," he flourished his wrist with a dry grin. Penny felt ready to argue and Mister J noticed. "Wouldn't you rather save his life than end it?"

Penny pursed her lips and looked the other way. Her resolve was clear and Mister J laughed.

"I knew you'd come around. People like you are all the same—so willing to save someone. Except your daddy, of course."

Penny clenched her jaw and gave him a hard look. He laughed again. What was his deal with that? It's like it couldn't please him more to know that there was someone out there Penny held in such low regard that she didn't care whether they lived or died. To use his words, that made her damaged and he liked damaged things; things that were broken. That meant it was easier for him to break them further. She should have never told him.

"What if I can't do it?" she dared to ask. "What if Dr. Van Chris refuses to help and I have to step in and I can't figure it out? Just because I work on a team that reports to scientists doesn't mean I am one."

Mister J was silent for a moment.

"You can do anything if you set your mind to it."

He said it like he was reciting a motivational poster and the humor on his face almost made Penny want to roll her eyes. The blind faith he had in her was stunning, though she figured if she needed to hold someone at gunpoint to do something she wanted, she'd feel pretty confident in the outcome too. Everyone wanted to survive and very few were willing to die for a cause no greater than themselves. She was no exception. Did that make her smart or selfish?

Frost reentered the building through the front doors, a sign swinging from one of them that clearly read CLOSED from the outside.

"They're taking Vincent to the house," he informed his boss. Mister J hummed. "I just got off the phone with our officer friend."

"Ah, how is Mr. Griggs?" Mister J asked. "Mind getting us some drinks while you're up?"

Frost maneuvered around the spilled food, taking a few glasses from the rack behind the counter and filling them with water.

"Do they have grape soda?"

"Only orange soda, I'm afraid."

Mister J made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat and Frost wordlessly filled the third glass with water as well.

"According to him they're going to be arriving within the hour at a sister base outside of town," Frost told him, approaching the booth with three full glasses in hand. He deposited them onto the table and Mister J took a large sip. Frost sat next to Penny when she moved over to allow him room. "Mission is estimated to rendezvous as early as tomorrow evening if all goes according to plan."

Penny picked at the pepperonis on her slice. So soon?

"What exactly is the mission?" she asked because she was too curious not to. She glanced between Frost and Mister J. "Is the city actually in danger?"

"When is Gotham _not_ in danger?" Mister J countered wryly.

Penny couldn't deny the truth there but she still felt annoyed that he yet again answered her question with another question.

"On the contrary," Frost inputted, leaning against one of his elbows as he regarded her. "This mission isn't supposed to take place in Gotham."

Penny's eyebrows pinched. "Then where? And why are they bringing them here?"

He answered her second question first while Mister J helped himself to his third slice of pizza.

"They'll be transported to the designated site by military chopper, to use Griggs's words. From what we've heard, one of the government's own has been held captive in Midway City. They're calling it a terrorist attack."

"Midway City," Penny repeated. "That's in Michigan," she mulled over the information before flashing Frost a worried look. "Wait, did you say _terrorist_ attack? How come it's not all over the news?" she asked, sounding alarmed.

"The whole point of Task Force X is to exterminate any issues before the media swarms them. In essence, they're to eradicate the problem before it actually becomes a problem. That's why the project is so under wraps. Do you know what would happen if word spread through the grapevine that there was another terrorist attack?" Frost asked before answering himself, "Mass hysteria. Something this country can't afford."

Penny leaned back against the booth. This escalated far quicker than she expected.

"Why haven't they done anything sooner then? If this really is an act of terrorism, why hasn't someone done anything?"

"Is the 'someone' you're referring to Task Force X or the U.S. Government?" asked Frost. "Because we're not politicians."

"You said it yourself, Pennywise," Mister J inserted himself back into the conversation. Through most of it he looked uninterested but he couldn't resist the urge to add his own two cents. "They wanted nothing to do with Waller and her idea. A bunch of baddies teaming up to save the day?" he snorted unattractively, licking his fingers clean. "What a liability that'd be."

"And yet they're doing it anyway," Penny stated dumbly.

"And yet they're doing it anyway."

Penny licked her lips, stomach coiling with anxiety. As appetizing as her slice of pizza still looked, she didn't think she'd be able to finish it. She was worried about how tomorrow would play out. On the one hand, she hoped Dr. Van Chris would cooperate to keep himself and his wife out of harm's way. She knew very little about nanotechnology, a fact that could not be said for him. And yet, a small part of her wanted to take the hit for him. But if Dr. Van Chris refused to assist them, she feared Mister J would spare him no mercy and that's the last thing she wanted.

"Pack up these," Mister J's voice interrupted her train of thought. She blinked and glanced up at him, watching as he motioned towards the remnants of the two pizza pies. "We'll take 'em home for the boys."

As Frost did as requested, Penny sat back against the booth and regarded Mister J. He had another contemplative look on his face, tracing his bottom lip with his finger. It seemed he always had to be moving one of his hands whenever he was thinking deeply about something. And as if knowing he was occupying her thoughts, Mister J lifted his blue eyes to connect their gaze. Unlike a week ago, Penny wasn't as bothered by his stare as she used to be. Rather than pulling away, she held the gaze, wondering what was going through his mind as he looked at her. His eyes gleamed under the light dangling above their table but his pale face was an empty slate.

Either she was so uninteresting to him or he wasn't letting her in on just how interesting he thought she was. She didn't know which seemed more likely.

"Frost," Mister J called suddenly, keeping his eyes on her. "Let's go to the club tonight."

Frost circled around the booth with two large boxes. Mister J finally disconnected their gaze to roll his head back, glancing up at his right hand man.

"Whaddya say? Blow off some steam before the games begin," he grinned slowly.

Frost inclined his head. "You know I won't complain."

Mister J laughed. "We'll bring all the boys! And you'll have to join us, dollface."

Penny jumped when his eyes returned to her. "Me?" she asked, surprised. "Oh no. No, that's fine. Clubs aren't really my…" she licked her lips, "my thing."

"I didn't say it was optional," Mister J leveled her with an intense stare. "It'll be fun," he wryly attempted to sway her, tilting his head innocently. "Let loose, have some drinks… you're so tense, Pennywise, I just wanna see you unwind."

"I don't really drink," she attempted meekly as a last resort.

"I'll teach you," he groused. Penny sighed inaudibly, knowing this was an argument she wasn't going to win, and Mister J's mouth stretched into a luring grin. "So it's settled. Let's take you home so you'll have some time to doll yourself up. Plus I've got an agenda to fill with Mister Vincent."

They slid out of the booth and Frost led the way, weaving between tables and stepping over fallen plates. Mister J reached out as he passed one of the tables and carelessly flicked the parmesan shaker. It toppled to the ground and shattered, mounds of yellow-white fluff sprinkling the tile ground.

Frost elected not to open her door for her this time, instead tossing the two large boxes of pizza into the passenger seat. Mister J once again sat in the back beside her and she watched out the window as they drove the familiar route to her apartment complex. She leaned her forehead against the glass, shutting her eyes. She felt too tired to go out again that night, the exhaustion prominent in her bones and joints, and she hated that she didn't have a say. She could almost hear her bed calling to her, her blankets warm and inviting as she envisioned them inside her head. Plus she had work tomorrow. How was she going to get around that?

Penny wasn't sure whether she zoned out or dozed off, but she jerked her head back when she spotted the familiar interior of her parking garage as Frost pulled the car to a stop. Penny blinked, rubbing the corner of her eyes with her thumbs before fishing by her legs for her purse. Mister J turned to face her as she pulled the strap over her shoulder.

"You should wear the blue dress again," he suggested, causing Penny to glance up at him in surprise. "I liked that one. It brought out the green in your eyes."

She stared unblinking at him for a good five seconds, unsure of how to take his words. Were they a compliment? Did he mean something else by them?

Mister J smirked out of the corner of his mouth at her dumbfounded look. "I'm just trying to help you, doll. If you wanna pull some guys—or girls, I don't judge—then you gotta do it right."

Penny flushed. She wasn't quite sure why she was embarrassed but his words made her stomach churn and flutter unpleasantly.

"C'mon Pennywise, you gotta have some _fun_ ," he stressed, licking his silver teeth as she squirmed beneath his penetrating gaze. "That's the whole point. I said I wanna see you loosen up."

"That's not…" Penny babbled before pursing her lips. "I don't really do that either," she told him carefully, feeling her face burn.

Mister J hummed, resting his temple against his curled fist. "Well maybe I'll have to teach you that one, too."

Penny felt hot all the way to her toes at the implications.

"I'll pick you up at eight," he called as she scrambled out of the vehicle, voice highly entertained by her desire to leave as quickly as possible. "Wear the dress. It's lying on your bed."

When Penny got to her apartment, she closed and locked the door before marching with a purpose towards her bedroom. And as he said, her blue dress was lying neatly on the edge of her bed, void of any wrinkles and looking to be newly washed.

Penny put a hand to her brow as she stared down at it, a million thoughts racing through her head she tried to chase but couldn't catch.

 _I don't understand you,_ she thought miserably.

* * *

 **So the next chapter's going to be fun for sure. I'm excited to start writing it. Thank you again for all the reviews, favorites and follows! :***

 **TheGhostWriter91 : Thank you very much! I'll definitely have to check out your story. I'm trying to be as realistic as possible but since all of this is fiction sometimes it's hard. Thanks again! ****IloveDory : Hahaha your review made me laugh. But thank you! vintagemind: JokerxHarley will always be endgame even if this story focuses more on JokerxOC. Freya Rosebull: Thanks so much! I love lengthy reviews. And you're not the only one who thinks there should be something between Penny and Frost (if to at least kickstart J's feelings for her). I haven't really played with the idea but I suppose it could always be possible! As for who you picture as Penny, I did first think that she should look like someone who's the complete opposite of Harley. But then I thought that maybe the Joker would intentionally go for someone who looks more like Harley. Or maybe he just has a thing for blondes. There's an endless amount of possibility there but mostly I thought Rose McIver had the right face for Penny. But you can picture whomever you'd like! Her looks aren't that prudent to the story. Also big thanks to Guest x3, Love Fiction 2016, lolobarn, Loco Koko, FeeKee and lilhobbit!**


	8. Entertaining the Thought

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the DC Universe nor any recognizable storylines from _Suicide Squad_. I only own my character(s) and the plot of this story. This is rated T for language, possible gore and violence, and mature scenes.**

* * *

 **8\. ENTERTAINING THE THOUGHT**

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Penny muttered, curling the last section of her hair.

After the shock of seeing her dress wore off, Penny made a point of curling up under her sheets and taking a nap. In the back of her mind she noted that her sheets weren't as soft as Mister J's and she contemplated if she should get new ones, but then she remembered his were silk and she'd never be able to afford ones like them. It was slightly disappointing but even so her bed felt much more comfortable than his and she quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.

She wasn't very good at primping herself, she realized, and even worse at styling her hair. She could style other people's hair well enough but for some reason doing it on herself was much harder despite the fact that she was most familiar with her hair and how it worked considering she had to live with it on a daily basis. To her luck she didn't have too much hair to deal with so curling it was as simple as it could get. She went with larger curls so when she brushed them out they fell into more of a wave. Her hair was short enough as it was; tight curls would only make it shorter.

Multiple scenarios played through her head as she got ready for the night. The one that managed to stand out the most to her was Mister J successfully getting her drunk. If he was so adamant about 'loosening her up' and making her 'relax' that was the guaranteed way to do it. She said she wasn't much of a drinker and she wasn't lying but that didn't mean she didn't enjoy the occasional glass of wine or fruity drink. She could only say no so many times before his temper flared so chances are she'd have at least a drink or two if only to satisfy him. She wasn't too upset with that fact as long as she could pick the drinks.

Her goal was to not go beyond a slight buzz. In her experience she's learned what kind of drunk she was and it was the last thing she wanted him to deal with. She wasn't your typical handsy drunk or loud and daring drunk. Instead she was a tired drunk who sometimes had the case of the giggles in her half-conscious, hazy state. She was afraid Mister J would lose his patience with her quickly if he had to handle her in such a way. Plus the thought of not being in control of her inhibitions while around a psychopath felt like a death sentence to her. He'd have full ability to take advantage of her in any way he saw fit and she'd be powerless to stop him. Whether he'd actually do that remains to be seen but she'd rather not test the theory. She knew not to think better of him because when did he ever actually take the high road?

But despite those thoughts, a less negative one had also been pressing her.

When he implied that she could pick up someone at the club, however embarrassed it made her, it also made her curious. She wondered if that was something he did. She didn't know how devoted to Harley he was. The idea of him abstaining completely sounded absurd but then again so did the thought of seeing him with anyone but Harley Quinn. For all she knew they had an open relationship they were willing to share with anyone. It seemed likely but again she couldn't tell. It would've been easier had she been more familiar with their relationship. Going on just stories alone wasn't enough. So that's what she would focus on tonight. She would watch him and see how things played out.

As far as she was concerned, the less attention he paid on her the better. Any distraction for him would be a welcome one to her.

After running her fingers through her hair, Penny glanced at the clock on her phone and sighed. 7:56pm. Mister J was notorious for being exactly on time, not a minute early or late, so she had roughly four minutes to make her way down to the parking garage to meet him.

She gave herself one last look in the mirror. She tried her best to cover the bruises on her face and neck. Thankfully her foundation (both liquid and powder—her neck felt itchy) managed to conceal most of the damage and the rest would be too faint to notice in the low light. Seeing eyeliner and eyeshadow around her eyes and blush dusting her cheeks was foreign to her and she had to look away before she no longer recognized herself.

Tugging her purse off the back of her kitchen chair and pulling on her peacoat she made for the door. She opened it and stepped outside, being mindful enough to lock the door this time and then turn the knob to make sure the lock was in place. As she slipped her other arm through the peacoat's sleeve, she turned and was met with a familiar face only a few feet from hers.

"Oh!" she started, jumping back a bit. "Julie," she breathed, attempting to calm her racing heart. "I didn't expect to see you there."

Julie was in the middle of locking her own door, dressed warmly in a thick coat and scarf. She was already looking at Penny when she turned around and Penny tried flashing her a sincere smile. She still felt guilty about the other night and hoped she could find a way back in the girl's good graces.

"Going out?" Julie asked lightly, eyeing her attire. Despite the way her words sounded there was no judgment on her face. Instead she just looked worried.

"Yeah," Penny chuckled awkwardly, smoothing down her blue dress. "It's kind of weird. I don't really go _out_ -out. I didn't know what to do with my hair or anything. Sometimes I forget girls are supposed to know these things."

Julie gave her a faint smile and pocketed her keys. "Well you look nice."

Penny licked her lips and sighed, giving the girl a wan smile. "Thanks."

The two of them naturally fell into step as they walked down the hall towards the elevators. The tension was palpable between them and Penny wanted to feel annoyed. The anxious coils in her stomach were already wreaking havoc on her nervous system as it was. She couldn't afford to make the anxiety worse by worrying over what her neighbor thought of her.

"So is it a date?" Julie asked.

Penny gave her a startled look. "What?"

"A date," Julie raised her eyebrows. "Do you have a date with someone? I mean, by the way you're dressed…"

"No," Penny said quickly. "No, it's not a date. It's just a night out. With… friends."

"I see," Julie nodded, watching her feet. They reached the elevators and Penny hastily pressed the down button. They waited in silence for a few moments before the taller girl bit her lip. "Are you going with him?"

The hairs on the back of Penny's neck stood on end. She gave Julie a tense look.

"Julie…" she hedged quietly.

"I know it's none of my business," Julie defended softly as they stepped into the elevator. "I'm just worried about you."

"I'm worried about me too," Penny muttered. She stared ahead at the closed doors for a second, feeling her stomach drop as the elevator descended. "I don't know how long this is going to go, Julie," she admitted. Her lips turned downward. "I feel like this is just the beginning."

Julie didn't respond right away.

"Are you sure you can't tell me what it is he needs you for?" Julie tried.

"I can't tell you," Penny said with a hint of regret. "I'm sorry."

The elevator _dinged_ and the doors pulled open, immediately revealing a familiar purple-pink car, glowing lavender from the inside-out. Penny's breath caught in her throat. She was expecting him to be there but at the same time she wasn't. She thought Frost would once again be driving them. She was expecting a black SUV again. It was discreet. This was not.

Julie tensed the minute her eyes fell on the car, taking in its angular body shape and the way she could see her terrified reflection in its door. She looked like she wanted to ride the elevator back up and wait in the safety of their apartment floor until he left. The windows had very little tint—either that or his interior lights were so bright they rendered the window tint useless—and his pale face slowly turned in their direction. His expression was light until it fell on Julie's stiff form and his eyes narrowed. Penny heard Julie swallow next to her.

"I'll see you later," Penny said quietly before stepping out. She heard the doors close behind her and there were no footsteps that followed her out. Penny pulled open the door, momentarily surprised at how heavy it was, before nearly falling into the passenger seat. She despised how low the car was to the ground. She felt like she was sitting on the asphalt. Before Mister J had the chance to greet her Penny gave him a stern look, "Do you enjoy scaring her?"

If Mister J was taken aback by her question he didn't show it.

"It's so easy," he drawled. He made a lap around the parking garage, going faster than necessary as he pulled out onto the road. Penny held onto the handle of her door for stability.

"She's really afraid of you, you know."

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "And you aren't?"

Penny didn't know what to say. "I think my fear's a little different than hers."

He smirked crookedly. "Is that so?"

Penny leaned back and let herself look him over as he sped through intersection after intersection. He was dressed in another black shirt, this one as lowly unbuttoned as the rest, but it looked soft like it was made from a velvet material. No doubt more expensive than her rent. Familiar gold chains dangled from around his neck and his green hair was slicked back, not a strand out of place. He didn't seem to own pants that weren't black as was the case tonight. His wrists were overly decorated in various bracelets and another classic gold watch, fingers equally bejeweled. The longer she was enclosed in the tight space with him, the more apparent his cologne was becoming. It was the same one that made her mind foggy the night at her apartment, the one that still remained on his skin earlier that morning when he stood behind her.

"Enjoying the view?" he remarked, tearing her from her thoughts. She inwardly scowled. It seemed she couldn't return the favor and silently watch him without receiving some sort of mocking for it. "Did I dress nice for Pennywise?"

"What cologne are you wearing?" she asked suddenly, ignoring his question.

This time his surprise was apparent.

" _Chanel No. 5_ ," he retorted. Penny huffed an angry sigh. Why couldn't he just answer her questions? Was it so hard to do? He noticed her irritation and his red lips tightened. "What's it to you? You wanna buy some for yourself or something?"

"It just smells nice is all," Penny replied, attempting to sound civil as she gazed out the window.

Mister J didn't immediately reply. The car was quiet save for the roar of the engine until she heard a low growl emit from the back of his throat.

" _Straight to Heaven_."

"I'm sorry?"

" _Straight to Heaven_ ," he repeated, glancing over at her before returning his eyes to the road, fingers clenched around the steering wheel. "By Kilian. That's what it's called. Ironic, huh?"

The irony definitely wasn't lost on her but she found it was aptly named. She hummed, smiling silently to herself at the success of finally getting him to answer her for once, and didn't say anything more on the subject. Mister J appeared fine with the silence that followed.

A few minutes later they pulled up to the front of his club near the valet. Penny didn't miss the way those in line for the entrance stared long and hard at his car that was about as infamous if not more so than the nightclub it was parked in front of. For a moment Penny was stunned that Mister J would allow someone else to drive his car, even if it was to park it nearby, but she soon realized he was parked in a reserved space. Penny could feel the thump of the base from where she sat and her heart sped up at the thought of entering through the front doors with everyone's eyes on her. She could only hope her presence would be overshadowed by Mister J's.

"Showtime, doll."

He flashed his silver teeth at her before he pushed open his door. Penny inhaled sharply through her nose and slowly followed in his wake. Mister J was smoothing down his hair as he stepped around the front of the car and Penny wasn't too quick to saddle up next to him, instead choosing to follow a foot behind as he made his way to the entrance. She heard the quirky beep of his car as he locked it before he heartily slapped the bouncer's chest with a wicked grin. The man stepped aside, ignoring the couple he was originally about to grant entrance to, and allowed Mister J to walk past him.

Penny halted for a moment, wondering if she was supposed to pay the bouncer like her last visit, but a cold hand gripped her wrist and pulled her inside before she could ask. Mister J dragged her along behind him, fingers wrapped tightly around her hand as he led her around the dancefloor. Lights flashed overhead and Penny was momentarily grateful she wasn't epileptic. Headaches, however, she wasn't immune to and she was already started to feel one form as a few sweaty bodies collided with her. She elected to stay close to Mister J, her front brushing up against his back as she trailed behind him, though his steely grip on her wrist suggested he wouldn't let her separate from him easily.

Penny's head felt nothing but relief as they stepped through the familiar glittering beads that separated the open dancefloor from the VIP booths. She hoped Mister J would choose to stay here for the rest of the evening where there were less prying eyes. He didn't seem like he'd be too quick to interact with anyone on the other side of the building anyway.

Mister J led them to his usual booth, dropping her wrist when he reached it. He slid into one side and Penny unbuttoned her peacoat, draping it over the corner of the booth before sitting across from him. Quicker than she ever expected a waiter dressed primly scampered over to their table with a willing expression.

"Good evening, Mister J," he greeted, attempting to appear calm when he reached the end of their booth. He nodded at Penny before redirecting his gaze to the clown, eager to please. "Can I get something started for you?"

Mister J looked across the booth to Penny.

"Drinks?" he suggested. Penny figured it was a rhetorical question because he turned back to the waiter before she had the chance to answer, eyeing him from head to toe before settling him with a wan smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Give me a glass of the Crown Royal whiskey," Penny should've known he would choose that. "Actually, just bring the whole bottle with you. Pennywise?"

Penny blinked, unprepared. She scoured her brain, ordering the first thing that came to mind, "Um, I'll take a martini, please."

She'd never had a martini in her life.

The waiter nodded and left to fetch their beverages. Penny gazed at Mister J, watching as he slouched back against the booth, one arm tossed casually over the back and the other lying on the glass table. His fingers were tapping in rhythm with the music, rings glistening from the overhead chandelier.

"I'm surprised to see you drinking something other than grape soda," Penny retorted, voice light.

"Gotta have variety," he replied simply.

Penny glanced around the area. There weren't very many people in the booths and the ones that were occupied were on the other side of the room.

"Where's Frost and the others?" she asked.

Mister J waved the hand that was resting on the table. "They're around here somewhere. They won't be following us around tonight. It's just you and me, dollface."

 _Oh good,_ she droned, pursing her lips.

She decided she was going to bring up the situation with her having to work tomorrow. She'd yet to figure out exactly what she was going to do. She considered calling out but she didn't know what Mister J expected of her. For all she knew he wanted her at work.

"So tomorrow when we go—"

"No," Mister J interrupted her, shaking his head. She frowned at him, lips still wordless forming around the sentence he stopped her from speaking. "We're not talking about that tonight. Tonight is for _relaxing_ ," he gave her a pointed look. She huffed a sigh through her nose, rubbing her hands together as she looked away. "I can't wait to get something in you so you stop fidgeting. It's distracting," he paused. "Let's talk about something _else_."

"We're not talking about my father," Penny immediately denied. It seemed whenever they didn't talk about the mission they talked about her dysfunctional relationship with what little family she had left. She wasn't going to stand for it anymore.

"Darn, and I was going to lead with that."

His sarcasm wasn't lost on her and it took all her will power not to roll her eyes at him.

"Let's talk about your boyfriend instead."

Penny whipped her head around, a little taken aback and a lot confused. "Excuse me?"

"Your imaginary boyfriend. The one you don't have because you don't love anything," his face was void of any emotion but his eyes smiled in mirth.

"I don't know what that means," Penny said, brows furrowed.

"I'm assuming you don't date," he explained, as nonchalant as ever. He knew his words were bothering her which was probably why he was saying them. "You certainly act like you don't. What were your words exactly?" he lifted his chin, appearing deep in thought. He raised a finger like a metaphorical lightbulb had flickered to life inside his head. "You said that love was _romanticized_. I take it that means you've never loved anyone. Outside of family," he quickly added when she opened her mouth to protest. "I've taken this to mean that you have unrealistic expectations of a partner. Isn't that what all women say? They're trying to find _the one_?"

"I've dated before," she promptly defended herself before adding, "And not all girls are like that. Some just aren't interested."

"So you have no intentions of getting married in a chapel and living the white picket fence life?"

"I don't know... not right now?" she clenched her jaw in irritation. "Why do we always have to talk about me?"

Mister J's eyebrows rose and he opened his arms wide. "Would you rather talk about me? Fine," he theatrically gestured towards her with a challenging look. "What do you want to know? Ask away."

Penny was rightfully thrown off by that. She never expected he'd actually offer her free reign to ask him anything she wanted and as she sat there, mouth agape, she realized she couldn't think of a single thing to ask him. She could argue that she wanted to know everything and nothing about him at the same time and she certainly wasn't going to tell him that.

"See?" Mister J asked, his red lips giving way to a maniacal grin. "As you've put it before, you never know what to say to me. So I thought I'd take it upon myself to move the conversation along."

"Still doesn't explain why you had to bring up _dating_ , of all things."

"Just trying to get to know you, Pennywise," he smirked before the waiter approached them balancing a silver platter.

"Your whiskey, Mister J," the man hastily said as he placed a full, round bottle of golden liquid on the table next to a glass of crushed ice. "And your martini," he deposited a tall Y-shaped glass with a green olive in front of Penny. He tucked the tray under his arm and straightened his spine. "Can I get you two anything else?"

"No," Mister J waved him away and with a bow he left. As Mister J prepared his own drink, Penny was staring down at hers. She hadn't really wanted a martini, she just felt pressured to give a quick answer and this was the first thing that came to mind. She quirked her lip and with a silent shrug she scooped the glass up and pressed the rim of it to her lips. She took a generous sip and immediately puckered her lips, attempting to hide the distaste on her face as it threatened to contort in disgust. There was an abundance of flavors just none that were pleasing. "Good?"

"Yeah," Penny strained, wetting her lips. She didn't see the amused grin on Mister J's face as he poured his glass of whiskey, his ability to see right through her still unhindered.

"So the real reason I brought up dating," he continued once he was finished, swirling the whiskey around in his glass as it melted the crushed ice, "was because I couldn't help but notice you wore the dress I asked you to wear."

Penny's eyebrows wrinkled and she habitually looked down at her ensemble. "I mean. Yeah?"

"You actually did as I asked," he commented, taking a sip of his whiskey without pulling his eyes away from hers.

"Don't I usually?" she asked.

"You do," he agreed, licking the excess liquid from his lips before any whiskey could trickle down his chin. "You just usually do it with more defiance and snark."

"Well you didn't see me when I was in my apartment. I could've been very defiant and snarky while I put it on," she countered lightly. His red lips curved up.

"I'm sure you were," he took another sip, holding the liquid in his mouth as he gazed across the table at her. He didn't swallow until Penny shifted uncomfortably under the intense scrutiny and afterwards he finally said, "You look nice."

Penny shifted again, crossing and uncrossing her legs. "Thank you."

Mister J tilted his head. "Do you not know how to take a compliment? It's not like I have some hidden agenda. They're just words. Nice words."

"Okay," was all Penny said. She wasn't inclined to believe the hidden agenda part. He always had something up his sleeve.

"Do you not trust me?" Mister J then asked, regarding her closely. Penny opened her mouth to say that no, she did trust him, but that would've been a lie and she was positive he'd know it. He seemed to read all of this on her face and he straightened his head, rolling his shoulders. "Can I ask why?"

It was safe to say Penny had a ton of cards in her hands right now and she didn't have a clue which one she should play. She still figured the safest route was telling the truth.

"I just… don't know what you're going to do," she told him carefully. When he didn't move or say anything further, she assumed he wanted her to elaborate. "You're this… enigma to me. To everyone in Gotham City. You've done terrible things to good people. I'm just…" her mouth continued to move but no sound came out and she left it at that, her insides clenching.

"Afraid that I'll do terrible things to you?" he hedged. Penny swallowed and looked away. "Oh, Pennywise," he lured and his tone almost made her wince. "I do want to do terrible things to you but I can assure you none of them would kill you," Penny felt her entire body burn at his words. "At least, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't."

"What does that mean?" she dared to ask. She turned to face him, eyes wide. The fear must've been clear as day on her face because Mister J smiled again and leaned back, glancing up at the chandelier above them.

"I'm just _yanking your chain_ , Pennywise," he said in a funny voice. She couldn't tell whether he sounded mad or entertained. "Like I said, they're just words."

"Are they?" she questioned bravely. His blue eyes flashed at hers. "Are they really just words? I may not have said anything back but I heard them every time. Do you really enjoy teasing me that much?"

"Yes," he answered bluntly before a throaty laugh escaped his lips. Penny stiffened and he took a large drink of his whiskey. "You want me to be honest?" he clarified, eyes shimmering at hers. He had to raise his voice a bit as the song currently playing was louder than the last. "Honesty is the best policy but it's not always the most fun," he pouted and when Penny didn't say anything his charade faded. "Alright Pennywise, here's the _411_. I don't want to kill you. At least, not on most days. I did promise that if you were to piss me off or compromise anything in any way, I'd end you. That still stands. No one is going to kill you but me. I told you not to take comfort in that and you shouldn't, but find some relief in it as well. It's our deal. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. But if you fuck up it's all over."

Penny leaned back against the booth. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she didn't really know why. Or rather, there were plenty of reasons why she just didn't know which one caused it. He did nothing to reassure her, though in a way she was placated by his words.

"I'm not sure what you want me to do," she admitted.

"Don't fuck up," he advised.

 _You make it sound so simple,_ she thought. She eyed the contents of her drink with obvious distain as he finished his first glass. She picked the green olive out of the glass and gingerly pulled it off the stick with her teeth, chewing on it. At least that didn't taste horrible. She glanced over her shoulder at the bar lined with animated guests. She bit the inside of her cheek and turned back around to find Mister J still watching her.

"Um," she cleared her throat before speaking over the base. "Do you mind if I order another drink? I'm actually not a fan of this one."

It took a good five seconds before Mister J flicked his wrist, waving her off. He leaned back in his booth as she slipped out, carrying her glass with her. She felt his eyes on her back even after she passed through the beads, weaving in and out of people leaving the bar with full beverages and large smiles. She squeezed between two stools, having no intentions of actually sitting down as she waved down the bartender who looked to have his hands full. It took a few orders before he was able to get to her which didn't bother Penny at all. It gave her time to clear her head.

When he did manage to reach her end of the bar, she asked for a Malibu Sunrise and slid her martini glass almost apologetically towards him. He didn't react as he got to work and Penny eyed the other end of the bar, her eyes inevitably falling on a tall form she knew she recognized. Once the bartender passed her a glass, she deposited a ten dollar bill in front of him with a smile before pushing away. She grabbed her drink and slipped from between the stools, excusing herself around a group of women before circling around to the other side. Penny shuffled closer to the bar, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Hi," she spoke up carefully.

Frost turned, eyebrows lifting when he saw her.

"Miss Weiss," he replied, his tone conveying equal surprise. He scrutinized her for a moment, watching the way she shifted uneasily. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine," Penny pursed her lips, eyes falling to the open stool next to him. She gestured to it. "Mind if I sit?"

Frost seemed reluctant at first, his eyes drifting over the sea of bodies that littered the dancefloor, before he nodded and moved his half-empty glass aside to accommodate hers. With a brief smile she pulled herself onto the stool, depositing her glass next to his. Frost's attention remained on her for a few seconds longer before drifting off, returning to his previous post of observing the crowd with partial interest. Penny noticed the way he didn't sway to the music, instead sitting stiffly with his spine straight as if on high alert. She wondered if that was second nature to him now, to watch for any signs of oncoming danger or anyone that may pose a threat to Mister J and his business.

"Are you enjoying your night off?" Penny asked after a few more seconds of silence between them. Frost eyed her out of his peripherals.

"I should be asking you the same thing," he retorted.

Penny traced the rim of her glass with her pointer finger. "I'm not _not_ enjoying myself," she said airily.

"You haven't even been with him for ten minutes," said Frost, sounding amused.

"He asked me if I trusted him," Penny stated, unable to keep it to herself. Frost appeared momentarily startled but it quickly faded as he nodded slowly.

"And I assume you said you did not?"

"Not in so many words," Penny stared at the orange and red liquid in her glass. She lifted her head. "Do you blame me? Would you have said yes?" Frost raised his eyebrows ironically at her and she corrected herself, "If you were in my position."

He considered her. "I suppose not."

Penny wetted her lips. She didn't think there was any harm in talking to Frost about this—he seemed kind enough and didn't appear as though her presence bothered him—but she couldn't have been too sure.

"Is it alright that I talk to you?" she asked, dreading what would come next if he said no.

"He doesn't mind," Frost told her, sensing why she asked. "If he's opposed to it, it's not enough so that he would ask you not to speak with me."

Penny nodded, hoping that she understood him correctly. "That's good I guess," she took a sip of her drink, reveling in the fact that this one tasted much more pleasant. She held the liquid in her mouth before steadily swallowing it, her mind racing. "What do you think he wants with me?" she dared to ask. Her eyes cautiously met his and his gaze was already locked on her face. "I know I've asked him before but I just feel like there's something I'm missing. I don't think I'll ever get a straight answer out of him."

"So you think you'll get one out of me?" his face contorted with some emotion she couldn't read. "You forget that him and I are on the same side."

"I haven't forgotten," Penny said. She wasn't so easily swayed by Frost's evasion of the question. "I just find you a bit easier to talk to."

Frost sighed. "Look, kid, I don't know as much about him as you seem to think I do. I don't pretend to know the way his mind works. Does he have hidden motives? Probably," Frost inclined his head. Penny tried to ignore the way her stomach coiled and rolled at this. "Does he have hidden motives regarding you? Also probably. If he were willing to divulge that information to me, which he would not be, would I tell you? Not so likely," Frost noticed the way her shoulders slumped at this and he let out a slow breath. "I don't got anything against you. I like you well enough. But you've just gotta let this play out the way that he wants it to. The only way to win the jackpot is to play the game."

Penny bit the inside of her cheek. "What if playing the game gets me killed?"

Frost lifted a shoulder. "That's kind of always been a possibility. You knew it from the start. Getting more involved won't increase or decrease the odds of that happening."

"I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse," Penny admitted, lips turned downward. She glanced at Frost closely. "How much more involved could I get?"

"I'd say that's his choice to make," he paused as if rethinking his words. He added mildly, "And yours."

"Wait," Penny furrowed her brows. She didn't like the implied turn the conversation took. "By involved did you mean like… _involved?_ "

Frost rolled his eyes. "I just meant involved. Maybe this is your issue," he suggested, voice wry. "You take everything out of context."

"Does he like me?" Penny asked suddenly.

"I don't think he dislikes you."

She narrowed her eyes. "That's not what I meant."

"I know, I'm just avoiding the question," Frost wiped a hand down his face, forehead wrinkled with irritation. He looked weathered when he pulled his hand away like the movement had aged him five years. "I try not to involve myself in the boss's affairs, yeah? I've figured out for myself that it's not the smartest idea."

An image of Harley Quinn flashed in Penny's mind. "By affairs do you mean…"

"Yes," Frost exasperated. "I don't pretend to know anything. I don't want to know anything. That's not my job. I think he likes you well enough but I wouldn't flatter yourself. His opinion of you is always subject to change."

"I wasn't trying to flatter myself," Penny bristled, tightly cupping the glass in her hands on the bar. "I was just asking a question."

"I know, I'm just saying it anyway. Maybe you've interested him, maybe you've not, but if you're looking for a bit of advice?" he leaned in close, face serious. "Don't let your mind go there."

Penny tried to deny it immediately. "I wasn't—"

"You were," he interrupted her. His voice had hardened exponentially since they first started talking, a fact that pulled Penny's eyebrows together even more. "By asking me that, your mind's already gone there. You can do what you want but if you want to get out of this as cleanly as possible, which I like to think you do, don't entertain the thought."

"And if he's already 'entertained the thought'?"

Frost looked annoyed that she brought it up again but he didn't say anything against her for it.

"Let's just hope he hasn't."

Penny let his words simmer, her teeth digging into the flesh of her cheek to the point where she nearly drew blood. She was left feeling more confused than ever and slightly irritated that these men constantly spoke in riddles. She couldn't quite tell if Frost was telling her all of this for her benefit or his. She liked to think it was both, but if he was anything like Mister J (which he had to have been at least a little bit) then it was most likely the latter.

Penny took a large gulp of her Malibu Sunrise, her tongue curling pleasantly at the sweetness as her throat relished in the cool temperature. Frost watched her with something akin to sympathy, though for the most part he just seemed wary of where she'd go from here. It was clear he took his own words to heart, though she still couldn't figure out why he said them or what they really meant.

Maybe he was right. Maybe she was reading too far into things.

Penny bestowed him with a tight smile. "Thanks. For… at least telling me all of that."

Frost rolled his eyes again at the backhanded comment. She would've smiled if her mind wasn't so cluttered.

"You should probably get back," Frost nodded in the direction of the VIP section. "He's probably wondering where you are."

Penny's face twisted. He was probably right. She slid gracefully off the stool, carrying her glass with her as she hesitated next to him.

"Call me Penny," she said. Frost faced her again, having already turned back to his previous activity of skimming the crowd. "You called me Miss Weiss earlier. It sounded kind of weird," she cracked a mirthful grin. "The last time I heard that name my mom was on the receiving end of it, not me. Plus it'd be nice to be called something other than Pennywise," she chuckled awkwardly. "I'm kind of starting to forget it's not my real name."

"Penny it is," Frost nodded once. "You can call me Jonny if you wish. I don't really have a preference."

Penny thought about it for a moment, weighing each name in her head. "I think Frost suits you best still. I have this theory that you're really good at giving someone the cold shoulder."

Frost smirked lightly. "You would be correct."

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," she joked, stepping away.

"That'll be entirely up to you," he called as she disappeared into the crowd.

Penny shook her head as she weaved through the dancing bodies. He and Mister J were more similar than she thought. Frost was almost equally intimidating, only his intimidation worked in a different way. He covered it up with casual joking and friendliness whereas Mister J was more upfront about it. She honestly couldn't tell which one was more dangerous. Frost was like a poisonous snake hidden under the sand waiting to strike unsuspectingly. Mister J was like a lion, a smaller measure of stealth with more brute force, more violence. They were both probably equal amounts untrustworthy in the grand scheme of things.

As Penny made to slide through the dangling gold beads, she spotted a figure standing close to Mister J's side of the booth. Penny halted before she rattled the beads, hiding herself in the shadow as she observed the scene. There was a woman dressed in a red dress with gold tassels and long legs leaning close to the clown as they spoke. Mister J looked as relaxed as ever, not reciprocating the proximity but still accommodating her closeness. Penny studied the two of them, unable to guess what they were talking about. It didn't look like they were trying to hide anything but it still made Penny feel uneasy. Her mind was still reeling from the conversation she had with Frost. She wondered if he would tell this woman not to get involved if she were in Penny's place.

Penny's glass accidentally _clanged_ against the beads and Mister J's head turned in her direction at the sound. She clenched her jaw, momentarily squeezing her eyes shut before pulling the beads aside now that she'd been caught. Mister J's eyes narrowed in her direction though he didn't seem particularly upset as he watched her approach. He glanced back up at the woman who was giving Penny an unreadable stare before waving her away. She didn't seem displeased at being dismissed (Penny was unsure how she felt about that) and her eyes locked with Penny's, holding their gaze as they passed one another. Penny caught a whiff of the woman's perfume; sickly sweet and strong as if it were sugar in liquid form.

"Pennywise," Mister J greeted as he always did when she was within earshot. "Took you quite a while to get a drink. Was it busy?"

Penny slipped back into her side of the booth. She considered lying but thought better of it. "I ran into Frost over there. I just wanted to say hi."

"Ah," Mister J lifted his chin. His blue eyes were dark as they skimmed her face. "Seemed like you were there awfully long just to say hi."

Penny licked her lips. "We talked a little bit."

"What did you talk about?" he asked innocently.

"Just how the night was going," Penny was proud of how steady she kept her voice. She made a point to not avoid eye contact, hoping to erase any suspicions he might have. The paranoid side of her immediately assumed Frost contacted Mister J on her way over to him and told him everything but she knew that was absurd.

"And how is the night going?"

Penny attempted a small smile. "So far so good."

Mister J hummed. "Good."

The next hour or so went by rather quickly. Mister J didn't attempt much small talk although when he did Penny was more prepared to answer. They didn't talk about anything important and each time silence fell around them Penny completely forgot what was discussed. She tried to remember her earlier mission of watching how Mister J interacted with other women but there wasn't really an opportunity to do so. The VIP section was still rather scarce considering it was a Sunday night so the only situation Penny really had to go on was the one with the woman in the red dress.

Penny was still curious about that. Who was she? How did she know Mister J? Were they close or were they just acquaintances? Did they know each other at all or was it just a coincidental first meeting? Penny wanted to ask but she knew it wasn't her place to. If Mister J related her quietness to her curiosity he certainly didn't mention it which may have been his plan all along. He seemed to enjoy watching her squander.

It was nearing 9:30 when Mister J threw a curveball at her. He looked properly sated at this point, eyes glossy and cheeks delicately flushed as he'd finished off the bottle of whiskey. Penny was working on her third Malibu Sunrise, feeling warm and comfortable, when she was once again struck by the intensity of his stare. It seemed to bother her a bit more when she had a few glasses of alcohol in her system. Her inhibitions weren't altered in any way but her emotions seemed to be working in overdrive. Plus her eyelids were beginning to feel heavy.

"Would you like to dance?" the whiskey had deepened his voice, slowing it like molasses.

Penny was almost positive she'd heard him wrong. She gave him an odd look, brows pulled taut and mouth crooked. "I'm sorry?"

"Dancing," he repeated. "Moving in rhythm with a beat. Would you like to do that with me?" he asked, voice edging on sarcastic.

"I…" Penny's eyebrows nearly disappeared beyond her hairline. "I didn't know you danced," was all she could come up with.

"I like dancing," he said calmly. "I find myself dancing all the time to the tune inside my head."

He smirked at the obvious jab he made to his sanity, or lack thereof, and Penny didn't know what to say. As she paid more attention, she realized there was currently a slower song playing in the club. She'd recognized throughout the night that they had a decent mix-up of high and low tempo music though they usually preferred the faster, more grind-worthy songs as the crowd was so energetic.

Mister J looked like he could care less whether she said yes or no, but the point was he asked her in the first place and it was messing with her head.

"Sure," she agreed before she decided if she wanted to or not. She enjoyed dancing quite a bit as long as it was with the right person. She was fairly certain he wasn't the right person but her curiosity was piqued. Was he a good dancer? She couldn't imagine he was particularly bad. Anyone could sway from side to side.

Mister J stood from the booth and, to her shock, held out a hand for her to take. She hesitated before accepting it, allowing him to pull her from the booth. His hands were cold, the rings on his fingers even colder as he led her through the beads to the dancefloor. Those already there gave him a wide berth, some stares lingering longer than others on his back and, in return, on her as well. Penny didn't know what to do with her hands and Mister J took control, pulling her closer when she kept a good six inches of space between them.

The fabric of their clothes brushed as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Even through the material of his shirt she could feel the warmth of his skin. She carefully wrapped her arms around his torso, bringing her hands up to rest them on the back of his shoulders. They began to sway in tune with the soft melody and Penny found it baffling that their position mirrored that of a loose hug. He was much taller up close, something she found quite intimidating, and he used that to his advantage by resting the corner of his lips against her forehead.

His fingers danced across her lower spine, the tips tracing invisible shapes into the cloth of her dress. Every now and then one of his nails would snag against the teeth of the zipper and he'd press the pad of his finger into it as if to tease it open. She knew he couldn't unless he physically unzipped the dress but nevertheless it made her tense up, goosebumps rising along her arms and neck. Every few seconds all of his fingertips would press into her like he was playing with the idea of digging his fingers deep into her skin through the fabric, only to have the thought fade away as his fingers slackened. She knew what those hands were capable of, had seen him use all his force to backhand a woman and to choke a man. His palms felt electric against her and her stomach shifted each time they moved like a magnet attracting metal.

It must've been halfway through the song when she rested her head against his shoulder. The movements were lulling her to sleep and she didn't have the energy to hold her head up anymore. He didn't protest to the added closeness. In the past when she made a similar move, the man usually pulled her tighter against them but Mister J didn't and yet her insides felt alive. It felt thrilling having him wrapped around her and she thought maybe she didn't want to know why that was. The scent of his cologne was intoxicating as it engulfed all of her senses and she found herself feeling terrified.

The terror struck her so suddenly that she almost had to pull away. She felt like she'd been lured into a trap, like the jaws of a Venus Fly Trap had ensnared her and she had no way of escape.

Mister J's head shifted against hers, his lips flattening against her forehead. It wasn't quite a kiss. It was more like his lips were resting against her skin, tickling it whenever they moved.

"Are you still scared?" he murmured, voice gravely and low. His warm breath fanned her temple and she'd never been more aware of him, of every place they touched.

Penny stared ahead. The velvet material of his shirt lingered in her peripherals, appearing fuzzy and dark on the edge of her vision. The lights from the club were hazy and colorful and they looked alive, twinkling almost mockingly as if they could perceive they were being watched.

"Yes," she whispered breathlessly. His lips curved against her forehead.

And what horrified her the most was this time she didn't really know why.

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 **Sorry it took so long to get this one out! I've been pretty busy and I posted two new stories (one of which is a Suicide Squad one-shot some of you may be interested in). I don't have much time to reply to reviews this time since I have some things to take care of but I'm still so thankful for all of them and the new favorites and follows, you have no idea. Special thanks to TheGhostWriter91, inperfection (lovely reviews!), Love Fiction 2016, icantfindacreativeusername (love the penname btw), chibbys chiblets, SlytherclawQueen (Slytherin and Ravenclaw heck yes represent), Fire and Ash, Angrypancakegoddess and Guests. You guys are the best and I adore reading all your reviews. I'm glad you're all enjoying the story so far. I feel like a lot of you were expecting an action-packed chapter this time around or for something really profound to happen (it kind of did? sort of? it was just subtle?) so hopefully this didn't let you down. All of the stuff that happened in this chapter was _super_ important for the progression and as expected I loved writing it so with any luck you enjoyed reading it. Until next time!**


	9. It'll All Be Over Soon

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the DC Universe nor any recognizable storylines from _Suicide Squad_. I only own my character(s) and the plot of this story. This is rated T for language, possible gore and violence, and mature scenes.**

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 **Warning: This chapter hasn't been revised. I've been way too busy and this chapter's super long so chances are you'll inevitably find some errors. I apologize in advance. They should be fixed soon.**

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 **9\. IT'LL ALL BE OVER SOON**

"I'm just saying I've never seen you in slacks before. What's the occasion?"

It was another day at the office which meant it was another day Mark was annoying the patience out of Penny.

She'd successfully covered up most of her bruising that morning. There was a splotch of purple underneath her eye she wasn't able to conceal but thankfully it just managed to make her look sleep deprived and besides mildly concerning her boss she slipped it past him without a hitch. And since she knew today was going to be a big day—something she was desperately trying and failing not to worry herself into a stupor over—she tried dressing more appropriately in case the need to run arose for whatever reason. Unfortunately she still needed to keep dress code, hence the reason she was wearing black slacks. They were on the thinner side, conforming more to the shape of her legs which meant they'd be out of her way and lessen her chance of snagging them on something.

She didn't really know what to expect. Obviously she'd never done something like this before. Break an insane person out of a secret government project, that is. With that insane person's equally crazy partner.

Penny was starting to become fully aware of the possible consequences of this mission. She could go to prison for being an accomplice. Like, a legitimate six by eight cell block hidden behind a foot of cement with her only exit being a line of locked bars that led to other criminals, ones that were probably murderers or rapists. Breaking out a fugitive didn't seem all that bad compared to other offenses but if she was claimed to have any association with the Joker then she figured they wouldn't care much about the details.

She wondered if they'd try to lock her up in _Arkham Asylum_. Whether she helped him willingly or not, chances are they wouldn't risk letting her go. If she wasn't a liability to the innocent people of Gotham then surely she'd be a liability to herself. She'd only get one hour of daylight every twenty-four hours and three small meals she'd be forced to eat alone, most likely with a relaxer mixed in somewhere with her stale mashed potatoes to coax her to sleep. She'd all but forget human contact and slowly but surely that steady resolve in her head would waver. Those walls of stability that built up the foundation of her brain would begin to crumble day by day until there was nothing left of her but a hollow shell of the person she once was.

She tried to imagine what life would be like disassociated from society but her mind just couldn't fathom it. She didn't have any family that could visit her which saddened her a bit but would they have visited anyway if they existed? How would they see her as a convicted felon; an accomplice of Gotham's infamous Clown Prince? Would they hate her? Would they be disgusted with her or would they maybe feel sorry for her? She didn't know which would make her feel worse.

It was these thoughts that kept her up all night last night and danced at the forefront of her mind at work, consuming all her attention to the point where her co-workers started to notice. The only reason the bruise under her eye made her look exhausted was because she actually _looked_ exhausted. Her body ached with tiredness and amidst the turmoil raging inside her head her mind still managed to feel foggy from lack of sleep.

She wanted to call it off. She wanted to just not show up. She wanted to curl up in her bed and erase the past two weeks from her memory. But she couldn't.

It was either face the music of prison or face the wrath of Mister J. And she honestly couldn't decide which would affect her more. She knew she couldn't run from him. Anywhere she went he'd find her, it was just a matter of when. And when he did find her, he'd kill her. Whether it'd be a prolonged death or not, she knew at some point he'd have to finish her off. But prison? Even with the possibility of parole she'd be trapped in there for years and if she cracked under the pressure then those wounds would follow her to her grave. So honestly, which was more merciful?

"Penny? Hellooo?"

Fingers snapping in front of her nose caused Penny to jump with a gasp.

"What?" she looked up quickly, finding three pairs of eyes staring at her with open worry.

"Are you alright, Penny?" Tracy asked with her perfectly manicured eyebrows pinched tightly. "You've been kind of… out of it lately. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," Penny said, voice wavering under the weight of the lie. She hated having an audience, especially when that audience was crowded around her desk in a line. She felt like she was being cornered.

"Are you sure?" Patrick gave her a disbelieving look. "You hardly took any notes at the meeting this morning."

"Yeah," Mark forced a quick laugh. "You're the only one who ever takes notes. Who're we gonna go to now if there's a quiz?"

On any other day Mark's attempt at light humor would've elicited a laugh out of her, even if it wasn't completely genuine, but today she just wasn't having it. She wanted to be left alone where she could sulk about the shitstorm her life had become in peace and the sound of his voice was starting to grate on her nerves.

"I'm fine," she repeated with force. "I just have some things going on at home."

"Don't you live alone?" Tracy narrowed her eyes. Penny clenched her jaw.

"Yes. It's just an expression," she made a point of facing her computer screen, clicking on a few tabs to make it look like she was working. None of them took the bait.

"You're just really tense and you have some serious bags under your eyes," Mark bluntly informed her as if she didn't already know. "You could talk to HR if it's… you know, if it's something _bad_."

Penny tried rolled her eyes without making it look like she was actually rolling her eyes. Was his persistence a new development or was Mark always this nosy and she just never noticed it?

"It's nothing bad but if it was it's none of your business now is it?" she hotly replied through her teeth.

Mark's eyebrows rose, surprised to hear anything even remotely mean come out of Penny's mouth. She would've felt guilty but her nerves were frayed to their breaking point and she didn't have the ability to care about a co-worker's hurt feelings anymore.

"No need to get defensive," Patrick said, frowning. He didn't seem offended, just equally shocked to hear Penny not being delightful and polite. Sweet Penny Weiss always taking others' thoughts and feelings into consideration before herself.

"Maybe we should leave her be," Tracy exchanged a look between Mark and Patrick. Penny's ears felt hot at the fact that Tracy was speaking to them like she was no longer there but she wasn't going to comment on it as long as it meant they'd go away.

Mark brightened. "Hey, how about you come to lunch with us?"

Clearly neither Tracy nor Patrick wanted her to accompany them but Tracy smiled encouragingly nonetheless and Penny almost reached across her desk to grab her stress ball and throw it at her.

"It'd be fun, yeah? We could go get some pizza or maybe some sandwiches. I heard this new place opened up on 7th Street…"

Penny heard her phone vibrate on her desk and she glanced wearily over at it as Mark rambled on. She tilted the screen towards her and immediately felt her stomach drop.

 _Be out front in 5 minutes._

Penny's mind blanked as she stared at the text message. Above it was a number she didn't have plugged into her phone. It could've been either Mister J's or Frost's but Penny had a feeling it was the former. She continued watching the text until the letters blurred together and eventually the screen went black. Penny wasn't even aware she was standing until she bent forward to retrieve her purse from one of the desk drawers. Mark was gazing at her in confusion, appearing to have stopped mid-sentence when she stood abruptly. With shaking hands Penny thrust the strap of her purse haphazardly over her shoulder and shut off her computer manually without logging out.

"What are you…?"

Penny pushed herself between Mark and Tracy, feeling their piercing gazes boring holes into both sides of her skull.

"I'm not feeling well," she muttered passively, not waiting for a response as she went to find her supervisor.

It was like her body was on autopilot, her legs carrying her mechanically to her boss's office where she told him the same thing she told Mark. Although slightly concerned he let her leave with a warning that it would be an unplanned half PTO, something she only got five of each year. She accepted it without caring and quickly left the office, ignoring the intense stares of her co-workers as she stomped with a purpose towards the elevators. During the ride down Penny had to forcefully keep her breakfast from making a reappearance as her stomach churned and writhed with anxiety. Sweat was brimming her forehead by the time she reached the lobby and her feet carried her to one of the glass doors before she stopped herself suddenly in front of it.

Waiting out front by the curb was a white van. She easily recognized it as the unmarked van Mister J kept in his garage except this time it had a cartoon panda painted on its side. She stared at it for a good seven or eight seconds with a slacked face, her mind a whirlwind of activity she didn't have the capacity to follow.

If she got caught she could go to prison. _Prison_. She'd never have a decent job again, especially not one for the government. She'd lose her apartment. She'd lose her car. And in however many years when she was released, she'd probably be a basket case forced to work minimum wage at whatever rinky-dink place would take her. The life she had would no longer exist. The person she was would no longer exist.

 _Prison_.

Penny wasn't sure when she decided but as she pushed open the doors and made for the van she realized that even still she was more scared of him. At least there was a chance she could get away with it. With any luck, after today it would all be over. That's what she kept telling herself.

 _It'll all be over soon._

The skies were overcast and Penny's skin felt clammy and cold as she circled around the back of the van where one of the doors opened. The first thing she saw was a head full of vibrant green hair and a blood red smile as Mister J raised a nonexistent eyebrow at her.

"Get in," he said.

Penny chanced one look up at her office building, praying that no one saw her, before she climbed inside, sitting herself across from Mister J on a bench with no seatbelt.

She immediately recognized Batsy and Charlie taking up half of the bench she was sat on and her eyes slowly trailed across from her where a familiar white-masked man sat with a sharp smiling mouth plastered across the face of it next to Mister J. Her heart sped up at the sight of guns hanging along the wall of the van between the front seat and Mister J's bench. Beneath it sat a deep green heavy duty chest that Penny could only assume held more weapons and ammunition. Swallowing thickly, she glanced up front and spotted Frost once again in the driver's seat with Panda Man relaxing next to him. He was very conspicuous in his panda suit but Penny assumed in passing he just looked like an oversized stuffed animal. Unusual but not implausible.

The van merged its way into traffic and Penny leaned back against the wall of the van, clutching her purse tightly in her lap. Mister J was silent, glancing every few seconds at his phone. He was clad in his Arkham sweatpants again with a large, shiny purple-red coat that was oddly similar to the one he gave her that was currently sitting neatly on her bed. Except this one flowed well past his knees. His chest was void of any fabric and Penny stared at the milky, inked skin before pulling her eyes up to his face. Like he knew he was being watched he turned to face her, blue eyes dark and dangerous. His face was stony and impossible to read, not unlike usual, but Penny was certain he was more on edge today.

"You're looking quite pale, Pennywise," he greeted in his haggard, gravely tone.

Penny swallowed again. She ignored his statement.

"Where are we going?" she asked, voice hoarse.

"You'll see."

How ominous. Penny continued to skim the area with her eyes. The road was occasionally bumpy and every few seconds she found her shoulder brushing against Batsy's. She apologized quietly every time. He ignored her.

There was a gift basket resting on the console between Frost and Panda Man. She eyed it warily, squinting her eyes at the flash of red inside the plastic. Penny's stomach clenched when she recognized the flowers and her skin paled even further. They were the roses Mister J asked her to pick yesterday. Why would he make them into a gift basket? She spotted a few chocolate bars and candies inside as well, only furthering her suspicion.

"What's that for?" she gestured toward the gift basket.

There was light amusement on Mister J's otherwise tense face. "It's a present."

"For who?"

"My, my," he drawled, masking his irritation with easy mocking. "Someone sure is _chatty_ today."

Penny briefly closed her eyes. She'd worked herself up too much. Trying to ignore the hammering of her heart, she wet her lips and glanced steadily at him.

"Sorry," she apologized, too nervous to have much feeling behind it.

Mister J gave her a hard look, eyes flashing in her direction, before he looked away and they didn't make eye contact again until a good thirty minutes later when the van pulled into a parking lot. From her vantage point in the back Penny couldn't locate where they were and with the windshield wipers chasing away a few stray drops of rain her view was distorted even more. But through the haze she spotted a white, red and yellow striped meter. They must've approached a security checkpoint.

Mister J tossed a wadded up white ball into her lap as Frost rolled down the window.

"Put it on," he commanded right before Frost spoke up.

"Morning," Frost greeted amicably. Penny dropped her purse and unraveled the fabric, her forehead wrinkling as she stared at what appeared to be a lab coat. "Got a delivery here. A gift basket for a Mr. Van Chris."

Penny looked up from the coat in horror. A smirk erupted from the corner of Mister J's mouth when he noticed this.

"This too," he tossed a cheap plastic mask at her. The horrorstruck look left her face as she tried to catch it before it hit the ground. She cringed at the white clown mask that smiled menacingly up at her with a red nose, thin black eyebrows, black-red lips and yellow teeth. "You get to be my little clown for the day, _Pennywise_."

Penny felt nauseous as she heard an unfamiliar man's voice ring into the van.

"You're not on the access list. Sorry, I can't let ya in."

"Hey, no problem," Frost replied. He retrieved the basket as Penny numbly pulled the coat on. "Cool if I leave it with you? I'm way behind today," he maneuvered the basket through the driver side window and outstretched it towards the security guard who seemed to take it with reluctance. "Thanks, you're a good man!"

Penny gingerly picked up the mask but she didn't have a chance to look at it for long before she both heard and felt an explosion not three feet away as the security guard shrieked in agony. Penny yelped, blinking at the ringing in her ears as she tried to right herself on the rattling bench before she fell off. It didn't do much good though as two seconds later Frost floored it and burst through the meter, tires squealing as he curved around a few taken parking spaces. He stopped the van closer to the building and Penny winced where she lay on the floor against one of the closed doors. Mister J kicked the other door open and flung himself out, the heavy rainfall drenching his hair as drops cascaded down the back of his coat like a waterfall.

He turned back again, jaw taut, and watched as his men clamored around collecting their weapons of choice. His gaze inevitably fell to Penny who couldn't seem to regain her bearings and he barred his teeth at her.

"Put the damn mask on," he snarled, snatching it off the floor and shoving it roughly into her face. She hurriedly did so with trembling hands. It was uncomfortably tight around her head and she realized it must've been a mask for kids but her face was small enough that it gave her full coverage. There were two small holes where the eyes should've been that enabled her to partially see. "Let's go, boys!"

Three large men shoved past Penny, guns blazing, as they marched towards the entrance. Penny followed slowly behind; every few steps it felt like her knees were going to give out underneath her. She saw the simple logo of Van Chris Laboratories plastered across both glass doors right before they stormed inside, holding their weapons high on display. The rain felt heavy and chilly, weighing down her lab coat as she trailed after them with a shivering frame that had nothing to do with the cold. The front room was tall and intricate with a lounge on the far right side and a long desk on the far left, which was mysteriously vacant. Whoever worked there must've heard the explosion and disappeared.

A hallway branched off from the main room on the other side of the lounge and it looked simple with framed stock photos and open wooden doors. It obviously wasn't the hallway they wanted. Mister J took the lead and approached a heavy-duty door past the front desk with the words AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY plastered across its front. It appeared to be locked with a code entry and a round black orb stared back at them from the upper corner of the ceiling. Mister J grinned widely up at the camera, wiggling his fingers teasingly before pulling a small pistol from his sweatpants, quickly aiming, and shooting the camera out. It shattered and sparked and Mister J stepped aside, allowing Charlie to take his place. Penny heard a click before he let off a few rounds into the code lock, effectively disarming it.

With a tug Mister J was able to pull the door open and he waltzed inside with a skip in his step. Penny was still hunched over from the loud ringing of the bullets and she had to quickly slip around the door before it closed on her and she had to pull it back open herself. She didn't want her fingerprints to be left _anywhere_.

The room was spacious and open with tall ceilings and various smaller rooms located within it. It was like a maze navigating all the equipment and Penny tried to make herself blend into the background as Mister J announced his presence by firing a shot into the air. A light dangling from above shattered and Penny shielded herself from the small shards of glass that fell.

"Howdy, grunts!" his silver teeth gleamed in the fluorescent light. "Is your father home?"

Panda Man didn't wait for a response and immediately barreled forward with his gun pointed ahead, firing off shots in various directions. A steady stream of screams filled the air as Charlie, Batsy and the white-masked man followed suit, unleashing chaos with their artillery as the heavy scent of gunpowder filled the air. Penny tried to ignore the thump of bodies as they collapsed onto the ground, blood spilling from their wounds and staining the shiny white tile floor. Beakers shattered and equipment sparked, a few bullets ricocheting off of the thick plexiglass that decorated each side of the building and at one point all of the ear-piercing sounds melted into white noise until all Penny could hear was a constant mind-numbing hum.

She felt dizzy as she attempted to follow Mister J's billowing cloak through the anarchy and rubble. A few times she had to step over still bodies and she adamantly looked away as she did so, mindful of the disarrayed limbs and fallen clipboards. She found that it was much easier if she just disconnected herself from everything going on around her. She didn't let herself get emotionally invested, didn't let herself look at anyone's face or into their vacant stares. As long as she did that she was able to let herself believe, if only for a second, that everything was alright.

"Get our friend ready, Frost," she heard Mister J instruct as they made their way down a narrow corridor.

Another sheet of plexiglass separated them from a laboratory full of instruments and chemicals and yellow CAUTION signs, and Mister J stalked up to it predatorily with Frost in tow. There was a man cowering inside, flinching every time another gunshot rang out. He looked horrified as he watched Mister J approach him.

"Open up," Frost advised warningly.

He only gave the man—Penny assumed it was Dr. Van Chris—a few seconds before he lifted his own pistol and shot at the glass. Dr. Van Chris winced at each one, eyes wide and skin white as a sheet. As expected the panel didn't shatter but it left a few softball-sized craters in its top layer. Dr. Van Chris stared at the marks, breathing heavily, until Mister J reached an open palm towards Frost. Frost deposited a tablet in his hand and Penny was able to see a glimpse of the live video feed of the doctor's wife strapped to a familiar chair surrounded by masked men. Penny wanted to be sick.

Dr. Van Chris's eyes widened in terror.

"That's my wife," he uttered, breathless and taken aback. It sounded like his voice was being projected through a speaker, probably one of the few ways of communication while the room was sealed. " _That's my wife!_ " he yelled. His words were filled with rage but the frightened, childlike look on his face betrayed him.

"That she is," Mister J growled in the back of his throat. He tilted his head, watching the doctor shrewdly through the glass pane. "Lovely woman. Pretty eyes. And if you don't want to see what those eyes look like outside her skull I'd suggest you let us in."

"You're psychotic," he whispered, eyes faraway as if he didn't quite believe what he was seeing.

" _Please,_ " Penny heard the woman begging through a sob from the tablet. " _Please just do as they say. Please. I don't want you to get hurt, please..._ "

"Don't wanna get hurt," Mister J repeated with wide eyes. "I wouldn't worry about you, big guy. I'd worry about her. Tommy hasn't had a toy in ages and she's _really_ pretty."

The woman shrieked and Penny suspected 'Tommy' pressed the blade further against her throat. Dr. Van Chris jolted as if he was the one with the knife to his throat.

"Okay!" he yelped, holding up his hands in surrender. He moved towards the door slowly, whispering 'okay' like a mantra.

He pressed a button on a panel next to the door and a small light above the door flashed green. Mister J purred.

"Good choice, _doctor_."

He carelessly tossed the tablet back to Frost who easily caught it before slinking into the room. Dr. Van Chris was visibly trembling at this point, backing up against a silver refrigerator full of contaminants and chemicals. The white-masked man skirted past Penny, startling her where she stood still on the other side of the glass, and she watched as Mister J steadily advanced on the man with his shoulders hunched. Penny could hear the doctor's ragged breathing from outside the lab and she wringed her fingers together, glancing nervously between him and the Joker.

Dr. Van Chris made an effort to swallow the saliva built up in his mouth and he licked his lips until they glistened before he shakily asked,

"What do you want?"

Mister J stopped not two feet away from the man.

"Heard you got a nifty science project you're workin' on. Wanted to come check it out for myself," he lowered his head as he scoured the counter next to the man. Multiple guns appeared to be mounted next to a computer and microscope but they weren't ones Penny had ever seen before. They were long and thin made up of metal and black plastic. She had a pretty good idea of what was nestled inside their barrels. Mister J made a curious hum in the back of his throat. "This it?" he took one from its holder and removed a small pin from the end of the barrel. He grinned, holding it up on display. "It looks neat."

And then he forced the gun again against Dr. Van Chris's neck and pulled the trigger. Penny heard the decompression of air as it released the nano-bullet into his neck with a painful sting. The man recoiled with a cry and Mister J pulled the gun back, admiring the small red mark it left behind.

"Now," Mister J enunciated slowly as if he were speaking to a toddler. Dr. Van Chris clawed at his own neck as if to dig the nanite out, his eyes wide. "I'm on a bit of a time limit so I'm going to need you to listen carefully because I won't be repeating myself. You're going to do me a little favor and if you cooperate, you get to live. If you don't," he inclined his head with pouted lips, "I'll blow your brains out. And not in the good way. But I think you will. Consider that expensive little nanite in your neck incentive to play nice."

Dr. Van Chris clutched his neck tightly, wince still pressed deeply into the creases of his forehead. His hairline was glistening with sweat as he watched the clown in front of him with dilated pupils. Penny was afraid he was going to collapse.

"Grab whatever you need and come with me. We got a nano-bomb to deactivate."

As slow as the man initially was on the draw, he kicked it into gear after that and scuttled around his lab trying to collect all the necessary materials. Apparently he had a machine connected to each nanite by satellite. In his haste and rambling he managed to explain while gathering cords and wires that Amanda Waller had a smaller mobile device with the same connection that she could carry with her while on missions. Batsy helped him lug the machine out of the building, becoming increasingly impatient as Dr. Van Chris gagged and sobbed every time he came across another one of his dead employees.

By the time they had it packed away in the back of the van the doctor was a shivering mess, tears streaked down his reddening cheeks and eyes bloodshot. The spot on his neck was an angry crimson and his hands seemed to permanently tremble. Mister J all but shoved him into the back of the van before pulling Penny in with him. Frost sped away from the building with police sirens echoing in the distance. They peeled out of the side exit and managed to disappear down the road before any law enforcement could sniff out their trail.

Penny yanked the mask off her face with a gasp, a layer of perspiration coating her skin from having the plastic pressed so tightly against it. She wiped a hand down her face, trying to remove what little sweat she could with the hem of her lab coat sleeve. She was sitting across from the doctor, Mister J pressed up against her right side and Charlie against her left. The doctor was sitting as far away from Batsy and the white-masked man as he could manage, gazing intently at the floor. His face was grief-stricken and colorless as opposed to the beet-red it had been when hauling the machine through his laboratory.

"How long's it gonna take you?" Mister J asked. Dr. Van Chris jumped at the sound of his voice, lamenting silently over the fact that the Clown Prince really was in front of him. It looked as though he were hoping the whole situation was a mass hallucination.

"I—I don't know," said Dr. Van Chris. "It'll take me a while to access their locators."

"Define 'a while'."

Dr. Van Chris tensed. "I—I can't really give a—an estimate. I mean, I didn't write the program. I didn't even _own_ the machine before Waller first brought up the nanites! It's new for me so I'll be figuring it out as I go."

"You didn't _own_ it?" Charlie asked, eyeing the man skeptically. It was clear none of them believed him.

"She has her own IT division!" Dr. Van Chris quickly defended himself. "I had nothing to do with it. I _just_ made the nanites."

Mister J perched forward with his elbows resting on his knees. "That cute little wife of yours is on the line," he warned in a sing-song voice. "Remember that."

"I'm not _lying_ ," the doctor stressed, running his fingers anxiously through his hair at the mention of his wife.

Mister J watched him closely before leaning back against the wall of the van, his shoulder brushing up against Penny's. His head rolled in her direction, blue eyes gleaming.

"Looks like you're going to be useful after all, Pennywise," he grinned. Dr. Van Chris glanced over at Penny in surprise like this was the first time he'd actually taken the time to acknowledge her. Penny shrunk beneath his gaze and avoided eye contact. "Let's see you put that brilliant, tech-savvy mind of yours to work."

"If he doesn't know how to use it then chances are I don't either," Penny said quietly, still feeling the doctor's intense stare boring into the side of her head. "If you recall, he's the one with the degree. Not me."

Mister J mimicked her soft voice, "And if you recall, you have too much of a hero complex not to try. So deal with it. Don't fuck up."

Penny inhaled sharply through her nose, feeling small beneath Dr. Van Chris's penetrating stare. He eyed her with something akin to disgust before trailing his gaze out the window with a weary sigh. The past half hour seemed to age him five years, the skin underneath his eyes a bruised purple and the wrinkles along his mouth and forehead prominent.

Penny couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from him until the van eventually pulled to a stop in an open area however many minutes later. She followed Mister J through the open doors, turning in a 180-degree circle to study their surroundings. Yellow lines and white dots pained the cement beneath their feet and Penny recognized it to be the back end of a small airport. The air was humid and thick, the scent of rain heavy. There were a few dark patches in the cement, signaling the last rainfall.

In front of the van sat a small white jet. Penny suspected it would take them all the way to Midway City. Mister J didn't waste any time. He made for the small set of stairs leading up into the jet, letting his men and Dr. Van Chris deal with the equipment. On any other day Penny would have offered to help carry something but she just couldn't bring herself to care. She sincerely hoped the break in to Van Chris Laboratories wouldn't be pointed back to her. It was obvious Mister J didn't care whether he got caught or not but she didn't want to suffer for his recklessness. Come to think of it, Frost didn't seem bothered by it either. She never saw him wear a mask.

Penny wondered if that was why Mister J gave her the mask. To hide her identity. Maybe it was part of the reason because he did promise at the beginning that she wouldn't get caught, but she was fairly certain he got some sort of sick satisfaction out of her wearing a clown mask. It was his own odd, twisted form of amusement.

She never really took the time to consider why he called her Pennywise. She just assumed it was the average lame play on her name like everyone else so it was only fair she came to that conclusion for him. It's not like she wasn't used to it. She'd almost say her parents named her Penelope on purpose just to garner the nickname but surely they weren't that cruel. But she grew up with most of her classmates teasingly calling her Pennywise. She was terrified of " _It"_ and Pennywise the Clown so it didn't take long before she abhorred the nickname. Mister J was the first to call her it since high school.

Maybe she didn't want to think too long on why he called her it. Something told her she didn't want to know the real reason why.

Once everything was loaded into the jet, Mister J went to speak with the pilot who eerily enough had been waiting for them in the cabin and hadn't exited to greet them upon arrival. Penny decided she was alright with that, figuring she probably wouldn't want to meet them anyway. Once Mister J reappeared, he demanded that Dr. Van Chris begin setting up his equipment so he could get started. According to the pilot they'd arrive in Midway City in an hour and a half or so.

As Dr. Van Chris got to work on plugging in various cords and wires to the machine, Mister J and Frost sat at a compact table and began fiddling with a small walkie-talkie of sorts. She heard them murmuring something about frequencies and distance, none of which made any sense to her and she quickly lost interest. Dr. Van Chris was also muttering to himself as he tried to remember where every cord belonged. Penny felt lost and troubled and she took a seat in one of the white luxurious leather chairs, buckling herself in (she was the only one who did so) before the pilot began coasting down the runway. Penny's stomach dropped and her ears popped as the jet ascended into the air and Dr. Van Chris clutched the wall while trying to keep the machine steady, an uneasy look contorting his face at the high altitude. The machine slid a bit into the wall, a high-pitched squeak emitting as it scraped against the hard panel and Mister J turned to face him.

"Watch the goods, doctor," he advise, mischief alighting his eyes. "This thing's a rental."

Dr. Van Chris didn't appreciate the humor and with a steely look returned to his work without commenting. Mister J smirked, licking his lips before facing Frost again. The white-masked man, Batsy, Panda Man and Charlie relaxed in the chairs closest to the cabin, watching the doctor piddle about as if he were their entertainment for the afternoon.

Penny watched the doctor with something akin to sympathy. She felt obligated to speak to him; maybe try to comfort him in some way. But what would she say? _Hi, I'm Penny. I've been a great admirer of your contributions to science for years. Sorry we kidnapped you and threatened the lives of both you and your wife. Also, I happen to work for you and stole some of your research papers. How about that weather, huh?_ Penny made a face and turned away from him, that familiar feeling of regret weighing heavy on her chest.

About halfway through the flight nothing had happened and Mister J was starting to lose his patience.

"What's the hold up, _doctor?_ " he asked, sharp eyes trained on the man still hunched over the machine.

"I—uh…" the man flipped a few switches and tinkered with some of the knobs along the machine's spine, his face both befuddled and terrified at his newfound audience.

"Spit it out," Mister J snapped.

"I—I don't think the outlets in here work," he admitted, voice strained.

"What do you mean they don't work?" the clown's lip curled. Penny stiffened, watching their interactions carefully.

"I _mean_ , I don't think they generate any _power_ ," Dr. Van Chris reiterated, eyes widening moments later upon realizing how uncivilized that could've sounded. "I—I mean… it's just," he gestured helplessly to the machine at Mister J's stony glare, "I can't get it to turn on. I've tried everything but just… nothing. Sometimes the outlets in planes are faulty, I—there's nothing I can do."

Penny worried her bottom lip at the vulnerable look on the man's face. Her eyes flicked anxiously towards Mister J who appeared much less sympathetic. She saw the muscles in his jaw working as he clenched and unclenched his teeth, the smiling mouth on his hand smirking as his fingers twitched.

"Well," he agreed in a drawl, voice strangely calm and steady. "That is unfortunate."

Dr. Van Chris balked. "I'll keep trying!" he promised, waving his hands in the air. "I'll keep trying. Maybe if I try to use the outlets over by you…"

"Forty-five minutes," Mister J stated, coasting over the man's words as if he never said them. He stood slowly from his seat, rocking on his heels as he stared down at him. "You're supposed to be a fucking genius and yet you can't figure out how to turn on a damn _computer?_ "

Dr. Van Chris was sweating again.

"This isn't your average computer. I—It's much more complex," Mister J reached into his coat and the doctor's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when he saw a flash of gold. He cried, "It's not my fault! There's nothing I can do! Please, sir, p—please!" he clenched his eyes tightly, tears trickling out of his eyes as Mister J waved the pistol in his direction.

Penny's heart hammered in her chest and her breathing ran ragged. She unbuckled her seatbelt and slid to the edge of her seat, an uncomfortable sense of foreboding settling in her stomach.

"Forty-five minutes," Mister J repeated. His eyes were wider than usual, stare vacant and mouth turned downward. That was a bad sign. "You've wasted my time. I hate when people waste my time. And I _especially_ hate it when worthless sacks of _meat_ waste my time."

Penny heard a familiar click and she was on her feet before she knew she wanted to stand.

"Wait, wait!" she called, throwing her hands in the air the second the gun pointed to her. All that was going through her mind right now was _this is stupid this is stupid this is stupid_ but somehow her mouth managed to work. "He just needs more time. Please, just give him some more time. There's got to be something else. Somewhere we can go. If the outlets don't work then they don't work. He doesn't deserve to _die_ ," she tried, eyes pleading. Her knees felt weak beneath her and it was a struggle to keep herself from hyperventilating as Mister J's dark eyes narrowed at her.

"Look at you trying to save the damsel in distress," Mister J remarked, tilting his head. "I was right, you do have a hero complex. And it's not very _becoming_ on you."

"Look, sir, don't hurt her… I'll just—oh god!"

Mister J had the gun pointed at the doctor again, putting an end to his valiant speech before it could really begin. Penny's heart skipped a beat.

"Please, J!" she yelled. She leaned towards the doctor, not intercepting the gun but still standing close to its path. "J, please. He just needs more time," she begged, " _Please_."

Mister J kept his eyes even on the doctor, unmoving, and nobody breathed for a good five seconds.

Then there was loud static and Penny nearly jumped a foot in the hair, heart beating so fast she felt dizzy. She quickly realized it was the walkie-talkie resting on the table where Frost continued to sit and watch the scene unfold. Penny could faintly hear a voice murmuring something through the crackly signal but it wasn't strong enough to hear it clearly. It was definitely a male voice.

Frost turned the walkie-talkie towards himself and experimentally rotated the dial. It contorted the static, making it both louder and quieter until he found a happy medium. The man's voice was rough and demanding, speaking with authority into the receiver.

"… _dangerous situation… need to get me a chopper and be here at 1800 tonight… one at the base…_ " there were a few pauses between each broken sentence and then Penny heard a slew of numbers.

"We got him," Frost announced a second later. "Those are coordinates. We must be in range."

Frost began typing the numbers into his phone and Penny stood there, both confused and scared as Mister J still had the barrel of the gun pointed at Dr. Van Chris's head. At least now she could tell most of his attention was on Frost despite the fact that his eyes were still locked with the trembling doctor's. Once Frost was finished, he looked up from his phone and his eyes unintentionally met Penny's. She held the stare, trying to plead through the look in hopes that he'd help. It didn't look like it made much of a difference but something in Frost's stare wavered and soon his shoulders sagged.

"Hey, boss?" he spoke up. "If we get to the rescue chopper before they do, maybe the doctor can try it from there. It has a nice ring to it, you know? They won't see it coming," Mister J didn't move and Frost added for his benefit: "It has a machine gun."

Something sparked to life in Mister J's otherwise lifeless eyes. His jaw jutted to the side in consideration but he didn't lower the gun.

"Here's how this is gonna work," said Mister J, words dangerous and quiet. "You get one more chance. _Make it work_. If it doesn't, you can forget the nanite. I'll strap you to the front of the machine gun and blow holes into your chest until there's nothing left. Got it?"

Dr. Van Chris could barely manage a nod. His skin was so white it was nearly translucent, his temples dripping with sweat as he leaned haphazardly back against the wall. Penny breathed a sigh of relief and she slowly put her hands down, her shoulders feeling sore from lifting them so long. In a flash Mister J had the pistol lodged into the waistband of his pants again and he was sitting at the table, brushing his hair back with his bejeweled hands and breathing deeply. Penny shared a look with the doctor and some sort of comradery passed between the two of them. It was gone as quickly as it came and they looked away right after.

Penny all but collapsed into her chair, uneasy with the close proximity she currently had with Panda Man who sat only a seat away. Her head was throbbing and her mouth felt like it'd been stuffed with cotton balls. She felt the pilot start to make his descent into Midway City and he flew low for the rest of the flight. Mister J disappeared into one of the private rooms twenty minutes later while Frost went to inform the pilot of where they'd be landing. Penny followed Dr. Van Chris's unstable movements as he unplugged all the cords and wires from the machine in preparation for it to be moved to the next aircraft.

Frost said something about a rescue chopper. Penny was only half-listening when he mentioned it, more focused on Mister J's face and his hand on the gun than anything else, but she remembered that part. She suspected they were taking a military chopper, one that must've been destined to pick up Task Force X. She wondered whose radio signal they hijacked; if it was someone with Task Force X or just a lackey working for Waller. Probably both.

It was starting to get dark outside and Penny almost couldn't believe she'd been at work nearly five hours prior. Everything went by so fast and yet it was like the last five hours lasted five days. Penny stared out the small window to her left until Mister J reemerged when the jet made its final descent. Penny looked on in surprise to find his Arkham sweatpants and purple coat were gone. He was now clad in a black dress suit with a pink flower tucked above the pocket, white gloves and shiny black and white shoes. Why did he have to change?

Mister J noticed Penny's dumbfounded stare and he smirked crookedly out of the corner of his mouth, probably mistaking her confusion for something else. She pursed her lips and followed him with her eyes as he slipped around her, his hips brushing against her shoulder more than they needed to, to disappear into the cabin where Frost still was.

The landing was smooth and the minute the doors unlatched Mister J was jumping down from the exit as there were no stairs waiting for them this time. Penny peeked her head out through the opening, spotting the beginnings of a sunset painting the sky in soft oranges and pinks. The rain was heavy on the air in Illinois as well and the ground was still freshly wet from their last rainfall. Mister J gestured impatiently for Penny to jump down and she eyed him warily where he stood with his arms outstretched.

"You're not gonna fall to your death, Pennywise, it's only a few feet," he rolled his eyes. "Just jump."

Penny wanted to feel irritated but swallowed the urge down and jumped out of the aircraft. Mister J caught her under her arms and she grabbed his shoulders for support as he placed her on the ground. She quickly let go and he pushed away from her to circle around the jet. Penny followed as the men behind her maneuvered the machine and its pieces out of the jet. A large building came into view and waiting outside its massive doors was a black chopper. If there was anyone inside she was sure they would've spotted or heard the jet as it landed.

"Is that what we're taking?" Penny asked with a hint of uncertainty. The word _prison_ was flashing through her mind again.

Mister J didn't say anything, just stared contemplatively at the large aircraft in silence. She could almost hear the gears turning in his head and she took that as a yes. There was a grunt from behind and Penny spun around to see Dr. Van Chris trying to catch his footing after jumping down from the jet's door. The machine had been unloaded and Mister J's henchmen were crowded nearby with the green chest from earlier exchanging weapons and collecting ammunition.

"So this is a rescue chopper?" Penny tried again. "What's it doing here? I thought they were flying in from New Jersey where Waller was stationed."

"It's probably just here for convenience."

He turned around and headed for the green chest. He dug through it for a moment before pulling back with a large assault rifle. After preparing the magazine it clicked into place and Penny jolted at the sound. She wasn't afraid of guns but the same couldn't be said for some of the people carrying them. After resting the rifle against his shoulder, Mister J leaned back down and retrieved a .22 pistol. He tossed it at her and Penny yelped, fumbling with it in her hands while avoiding the trigger in case she accidentally fired it. Mister J gave her a dry look.

"Relax, the magazine's empty. Here," he waved her over and she approached slowly. "Fill it with these."

He handed her a carton of small bullets. Penny stared at them like they were an alien life form and Mister J rolled his eyes again.

"You do know how to load a gun, right?"

"Yes," Penny snapped defensively before glancing down at the gun. "I just don't know how to remove the magazine."

A faint growl rumbled in the back of his throat as he showed her how. Penny quickly filled the magazine before clicking it back into place. She sincerely hoped she wouldn't have to use it. Once everyone was ready Mister J led the way to the building's side so they could scope out the area to see if anyone was around. A man Penny didn't recognize followed silently behind them unarmed and she assumed he was the pilot. Speaking of being recognized… Penny pulled the clown mask out of her lab coat pocket and placed it back over her face. It made it a bit more difficult to see as the sun was quickly making its descent but she'd rather run into a wall than be put in handcuffs.

Frost and Panda Man moved ahead and checked for anyone hidden. When the area was deemed clear Mister J marched up to the gigantic chopper and stepped inside. Penny had to crane her neck to see the blades on top. Upon circling the perimeter to the back where Mister J entered they were greeted by a large opening. Penny assumed these were cargo choppers used to carry materials and army vehicles. She climbed inside, being mindful of her footing as there were many uneven spots where machinery jutted out of the flooring inside. Frost pressed a button and a door in the floor Penny hadn't noticed released, revealing a large machine gun that rose from inside its compartment.

"Start it up," Frost told the pilot who quickly slid past him as directed.

Dr. Van Chris tugged his machine inside with the help of Charlie and Penny was shifting the weight of the gun in her hand nervously when she heard a seemingly disembodied voice over the clatter.

" _What the hell do you think you're doing?_ "

Penny whipped around in the direction she heard the unfamiliar voice. A group of men were jogging out of the building, guns trained in their direction. Small red lights flashed next to the scopes on their rifles and Penny was horrified to look down and see a red dot hovering over her chest. Her mouth opened but no sound other than a strangled gasp came out. Mister J spun around in his spot, looking much less affected by the turn of events. He waved his arms.

"Evening, boys!" he greeted, smiling largely with mirth. "What the hell are _we_ doing?" he pointed to himself with a gloved finger. "We're about to snatch your bird. We got here faster," he wiggled his fingers. "You snooze you lose. And you?" he pointed his finger at them before digging his fist into one of his pants pockets. He pulled something small and round free and grinned. "You're about to die."

Penny realized too late that he was holding a live grenade in his hand and she only had about two seconds to run for cover before he pulled the clip loose with his teeth and tossed it at the men with a cackle. The second the grenade hit the ground with a light _clang_ Penny saw blinding light and her ears were momentarily deaf. She clutched a net hanging from the wall, covering one of her ears with a wince as she recovered from the blast. Her feet were still vibrating as Mister J doubled over in laughter at the silence that followed. The grenade must've taken care of them.

"Let's blow this joint," he called over his shoulder, voice still trembling with laughter.

"Jesus Christ," Dr. Van Chris whispered next to Penny, pulling himself up with the same net she was holding onto. He looked disoriented.

"I'd suggest you get to work," Mister J advised him, nonexistent eyebrows lifted. Dr. Van Chris swallowed before setting the machine up again, still trying to regain his balance. Mister J pulled his phone from his other pocket and tapped it a few times.

Frost lingered near the pilot seat to advise him where to go much like he had in the jet. Penny slid down and rested on the floor near the machine gun, her mind feeling foggy as her temples continued to throb. She needed food and water. It'd completely slipped her mind that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast but now that she was sitting down with the cold breeze from the blades as they started up fanning her cheeks she realized how cramped and empty her stomach was. Mister J moved to the front of the chopper as they lifted off and Penny wrapped an arm around the net anxiously as she watched the ground disappear beneath them. She knew there were seats further up front but she was too scared to get up and move and Dr. Van Chris seemed to be in the same position as her.

Penny began to shiver as they reached a higher altitude. The sky was almost black as night fell which made the air even colder. She clutched the netting as tightly as her fist would allow with her arm still wound through it in case the chopper tilted. The sound was deafening and she had no idea how Frost was able to communicate with the pilot who, through the doorway, Penny was able to spot part of his headset.

The walkie-talkie emitted more static and voices spilled through the frequency with Frost listening closely. There was a commotion through it and though Penny couldn't directly hear what the man was saying, he sounded panicked. Every now and then a woman's voice would accompany his. Penny could only assume it was Amanda Waller.

"They've got our GPS," Frost shouted over the noise to Mister J who was watching out the back of the chopper, green hair and suit jacket flying in the wind. "Just sent a message saying we're on our way. They're waiting for us. Apparently there's been an ambush."

"What kind of ambush?" the clown asked.

"I don't know, they're not making any sense. Said there were tons of 'em. Don't know what they're goin' on about but some guy's dead and they're retreating."

Even in the dim lighting of the city lights Penny could see that Mister J was not happy.

Something whirred to life on Penny's left and she turned to see the screen on the machine flashing along with Dr. Van Chris's triumphant smile.

"I got it to work!"

"Fantastic," Mister J deadpanned. He gestured to Penny. "Help him. Move fast."

Penny squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a tugging in her belly button almost as if the ground hundreds of feet below her was pulling her down. She carefully disentangled herself from the netting and, weaving her fingers through it, she dragged herself closer to the machine. Once she was close enough she ripped the mask from her head so she could see better and the wind yanked it from her hand before she could tuck it somewhere. Dr. Van Chris eyed her momentarily before pointing to the knobs closest to her.

"These scroll through the files," he explained to her, voice raised over the wind. "You can tap the screen to select them. I don't have clearance on the ones used for Task Force X so we need to hack the system somehow. That'll be the hard part. I think I can find them myself, I just need time to look. Hang tight and I'll let you know when I find them."

Penny took his suggestion literally and wrapped her arm back through the netting, hanging from it as the chopper tilted into a turn. Dr. Van Chris sputtered and grabbed the netting for himself before he slid across the chopper floor. Once he readjusted he began scrolling through file after file trying to locate the ones they needed. Penny's nose began to feel numb as well as her fingers and she tried clenching her hand to ease feeling back into them. It only took about two minutes before Dr. Van Chris made a positive sound in the back of his throat.

"This is them!" he said, motioned towards the screen. Penny had to squint to look at it. "We need to find a way around the barriers. They've got some sort of wall up to protect the files."

"Let me see," Penny maneuvered around the front of the machine and Dr. Van Chris scooted back to accommodate her. Her mind was on autopilot at this point and she went through the motions of disarming the firewalls without alerting Waller. Even though it didn't look like a computer it still functioned like one which made it easy for her.

"How did you learn all this stuff?" Dr. Van Chris asked a couple seconds later as he watched her.

"My dad used to be a big computer whizz," she shouted. "He worked for tons of IT departments and he taught me everything he knew. He could take a computer apart and put it back together again and it'd miraculously run faster and work better."

"Huh. And I just spent thousands of dollars on a doctorate of science," he attempted to crack a joke. The corner of Penny's mouth teased into a slight smile. "All that really got me was a degree and a position at GCU as a science professor."

"You work for Wayne Enterprises," Penny replied. "I'd say that's a pretty good accomplishment."

"Yeah," Dr. Van Chris was silent for a moment. "Look where that got me."

Penny chanced a sympathetic glance at the man who wilted at his own words. She quickly brushed the feeling away and returned to her work, clutching the machine tightly when the chopper shuddered.

"ETA five minutes!" Frost declared.

"Could you pick up the pace, _professor_?" Mister J drawled from across them. Penny was surprised that he'd heard any of their conversation.

"Almost done," Penny told the doctor. She tapped something on the screen and suddenly a row of faces appeared on the screen. They appeared to be mugshots and Penny immediately recognized the blonde one with pale skin and red lips. "Okay, it's done. It's done."

She moved out of his way and pulled herself into a standing position, readjusting her grip on the gun that had been resting haphazardly in her lap. She saw Frost appear from the doorway, his suit replaced with a black bulletproof vest and fatigues. He saddled up to the machine gun as Mister J seemed content with his assault rifle, eyes skimming the city streets below as if he were trying to find Harley Quinn himself.

"It's that building," Frost pointed to a tall building they were approaching from the left.

The chopper turned quickly, increasing its altitude to where they hovered above the building and the opening was hidden from view. Penny felt nauseous at the city lights that sparkled beneath them hundreds of feet down. She could hear Frost getting the machine gun ready as the chopper made its way up the side of the building. She glanced down at Dr. Van Chris and the second she did she saw him tap something on the screen next to Harley Quinn's picture and it flashed red.

"It's disarmed!" he announced. An evil grin stretched across Mister J's pale face at this and he licked his silver teeth.

"Showtime."

At this moment the chopper slowly rotated, bringing the roof of the building into view. Penny spotted the building's air conditioning unit first followed by the door leading into the building's top floor. Eventually a few bodies came into view, some in army uniforms and others dressed casually. About a dozen people were staring expectantly up at the chopper and underneath the continuous hum of the blades Penny could hear Mister J already beginning to laugh as dawning realization flashed across everyone's faces. This wasn't their rescue party.

"Let 'em have it, my man!" Mister J laughed maniacally, tossing his head back as Frost pulled the trigger.

Penny instinctively ducked at the painfully loud sound of machine gun fire. There was a continuous white streak of bullets reigning hell on the rooftop and within seconds everyone scattered, throwing themselves behind whatever cover they could find to escape the wrath of the Joker. Soon enough more gun fire rang sharply in Penny's ears and she slammed her palms over them to try and muffle the noise before her eardrums burst. Mister J was firing randomly, mouth open wide in a constant stream of laughter. Her eyes widened as she watched him wreak havoc, seemingly uncaring of who he hit or if his Harley Quinn was in the crossfire.

She'd never seen him like this before. Sure, she'd seen him unleash plenty of anarchy and anger but this was just madness. Pure, unbridled madness. He waved the rifle chaotically, empty shells firing back into the chopper. A few nailed Penny in the arm and she hissed at the heat, jerking away from the area before being pelted with more. Her skin felt both hot and cold and she pressed her hand down on the burn, clenching her teeth at the pain. Her ears were ringing again, drowning out the gunfire until all she could hear was white noise. For a moment she feared her hearing would be permanently damaged after tonight.

Penny cowered at the front of the chopper out of the damage path with Dr. Van Chris kneeling at her side. At this point the two of them were useless so the only thing they could do was sit back and watch. The pilot struggled to keep the chopper steady and every now and then it would waver in the air and rock them within it like a boat marring dangerous waters. It didn't take long before Mister J was out of ammo and he tossed his gun carelessly aside before pulling a rope free from one of the hooks on the chopper's wall. He threw it out the opening and at least twenty feet of rope dangled from the chopper's underbelly.

This was it. Everything Penny had faced the past two weeks had led up to this moment. All she could focus on was getting Harley Quinn into the chopper and hundreds of miles away from Amanda Waller before the rest of them on board were identified. That was the only thing that mattered. Get her and get out.

"Come on, baby," she heard Mister J purr.

Penny held onto the netting to keep herself steady as she watched and waited. Her eyes zeroed in on the rope that was pulled taut along the floor and she knew the minute Harley Quinn jumped for it. The rope was yanked tight from the extra weight and she heard the clown hiss with excitement as he kept an eye on her swinging form. There was a pause and Penny held her breath until she was lightheaded.

Then a shot rang out.

It sounded miles away in Penny's ears but she knew someone had to have fired at Harley. Penny's head thrashed around to gauge Mister J's reaction. He didn't flinch so obviously they missed. The rope shifted on the floor, signaling that Harley was climbing up. Mister J made a please sound, a mix between a growl and a purr, and that was when the chopper jolted. Penny lost her grip on the netting and fell forward in the same instant Mister J fell back.

Penny screamed as she slid towards the edge, trying and failing to find something to grab onto. At the last second she managed to snag one of the bars connected to the machine gun, head just inches away from the edge of the chopper. In a spout of bravery she peeked her head over the edge and spotted a girl with blonde hair and blue and pink pigtails holding onto the rope as she tried to maneuver herself up. She seemed to be having difficulty with the last few feet or so, struggling to keep her grip on the rope from her sweaty hands. The chopper rattled again and if Penny wasn't holding on she surely would've fallen right out.

She tried looking over her shoulder, her eyes quickly finding Mister J as he tried to pick himself up. The chopper was unstable and each time he was standing straight he fell back again. Penny looked back towards the girl— _Harley_ —to see that she hadn't moved. Her pastel face was smooth with sharp features buried under a layer of dirt and dust. Even in the low light Penny found her to be quite pretty but in a dangerous way. There was poison in her eyes that couldn't be swallowed even with the fear that currently rested on her face as she tried with all her might to hold onto the rope.

Penny's heart thumped wildly behind her ribcage and she made a split second decision, tossing an arm over the edge of the chopper and holding it out to Harley.

"Take my hand!" she yelled over the commotion.

Harley looked up. Penny half-expected her to show shock or anger at the sight of her but her face was surprisingly blank. Her blue eyes were intense as they bore into Penny's, leaving her feeling both devoured and empty at the same time much like Mister J's stare.

"Hurry!" Penny said, crying out at the pain in her arm as her body threatened to slip those few inches over the edge.

She wiggled her fingers to coax Harley and it seemed to snap her back to reality. With a determined purse of her lips, Harley yanked herself up another foot before propelling her arm towards Penny's. They linked hands and Penny gritted her teeth, curling her fingers around the girl's cold wrist. And then she pulled with all her might. All she had as leverage was the pole her other arm was clutching and she wasn't that strong but with Harley's help she managed to pull her the rest of the way onto the chopper. Harley crumpled onto the deck and Mister J was there in a flash, pulling her up by the tops of her arms and immediately into a searing kiss.

Penny blinked up at them, her sweaty palm still open where Harley's hand once was. She felt long fingers curl around her ankle and she screamed, feeling herself being pulled deeper into the cargo. She looked down and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Dr. Van Chris. She gave him a look of gratitude and, shaking the last minute from her thoughts, she was able to stand again.

"You got all dressed up just for me?" she heard a high-pitched melodic voice coo with a distinct New Jersey lilt.

"Oh, you know I'd do anything for you, baby," Mister J purred, voice thick like molasses. "I got a bearskin rug and grape soda on ice waitin' for ya."

She gave a breathy giggle. "Puddin', you shouldn't have."

Their moment was quickly interrupted by something loud and hard slamming into the side of the chopper. Penny shrieked and the force of it knocked her across the cargo and into the adjacent wall.

"Shit!" Frost cursed on her right. "We're being hit. _Shit_. They're targeting us."

"What do we do?" Penny panicked. In her mind she could picture the chopper going down in flames with all of them inside it. Another explosion hit soon afterward and Frost tumbled into Penny.

"Fuck!"

"This bird is baked," Mister J announced behind her. "Okay honey, it's just you and me."

Penny made to turn around but another more violent explosion rattled the chopper and everyone fell. Penny landed on top of Batsy, having completely forgot him and the other men were there. She would have quickly rolled off of him but the shaking of the chopper did that for her. She tried to make sense of her surroundings and grabbed whatever was within reach, only to hear Mister J's furious howl.

" **NO!** "

Penny whipped her head around, expecting to see both him and Harley standing there but the girl was nowhere to be seen. Penny's breath was coming in spurting gasps and through her haze she realized Harley must have fallen. Mister J yelled again and repeatedly punched the wall of the chopper with all the force of a jackhammer, his shouts and animalistic growls echoing over the chaos.

"We're goin' down," said Charlie as he strapped something to his back on his knees. It seemed it was every man for himself. Batsy was on his feet next to Penny, also strapping something to his torso.

There was so much going on that Penny didn't know where to look. It was like her mind was overcapacity and the overload was shutting down her body's natural function. She continued to lay on her stomach as the chopper was hit repeatedly with missile after missile, each one more jarring than the last. She didn't know what to do. Her brain wasn't working. Her limbs wouldn't move. She was going to die.

Her eyes were wide and vacant until a hand gripped the back of her lab coat and forcefully pulled her upright. Vertigo was immediate and she clutched her head, gasping at the quick change of direction. Something hard was shoved against her chest.

"Put it on," a voice ordered. Her mind was too cluttered to know who it was. She stared blankly down at the satchel. It was black with straps and a large pack. What was this thing? She felt like she should have known what it was but her brain couldn't make the connection. Where were they again? "Damn it, Penny!"

This time she was yanked straight to her feet. Her legs threatened to give out beneath her but a pair of strong arms held her up.

"We gotta go, boss! Come on, let's go!" a voice shouted right into her ear. Thank god she was still partially deaf from the machine gun fire otherwise that might've hurt. "We've got about four seconds before this thing goes up in flames. Put it on, fast!"

Penny wrapped her arms around the man holding her to keep herself upright. She didn't have a clue what was going on around her, just that she needed to hold onto this person. They were her lifeline. She faintly heard another explosion go off and that's when she was propelled forward.

"GO!"

And then she was weightless.

Or, at least it felt like weightlessness. She couldn't really tell. There was nothing around her besides the warmth of a body and a single arm that held onto her back with their fingers digging into her coat.

Everything was cold and it felt like her stomach had lodged itself in her throat. Her heart jumped in her chest and a scream tore itself from her throat. She gripped the person for dear life in freefall, feeling the wind and rain rip and tear against her cheeks until her skin felt raw and bloody.

It felt like seconds, hours, minutes all wrapped up into one single moment before there was a jolt and then they were no longer plummeting toward Earth like a meteoroid but they were still falling.

Penny's head swarmed and that feeling of weightlessness returned except this time she was dizzy. She didn't have the ability to focus on anything around her but black spots soon clouded her vision and the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was the feeling of her left side slamming into wet pavement.

* * *

 **Holy crap this was a long chapter. So happy holidays everyone! I'm sorry it took so long to get this one out. Besides the usual stuff it was the holidays so I didn't have much time to sit at my desk and write which also meant I didn't have much time (re: hardly any time at all) to watch the movie and try to get any of this even remotely accurate. But I tried my best. Thank you SO much to all the favorites, follows and reviews. I mean, _14 reviews_ for the last chapter? You guys are amazing. Honestly. I love every single one of you.**

 **Unfortunately I don't have the time to respond to reviews (again! ugh!) but I just wanted to give a special thank you to the following people for their kind reviews:** **Fire and Ash , The Beatles Babydoll22, TheGhostWriter91, Fallen1019, Mimi, Angrypancakegoddess, Love Fiction 2016, ShadowTeir, Anna, lilhobbit, Guest x2 and inperfection. Also HUGE thank you to Mistress Of Yours for your insanely detailed review. You have no idea how much that made my day, honestly. I practically squealed when I saw it. So thank you for taking the time to write it.**

 **Sorry there wasn't much JokerxPenny interaction in this one. It was mostly action-packed but it had to happen and I hope you still enjoyed the chapter all the same. I'm actually pretty excited to write the next one, I've been thinking about it for a while. And to the person who brought up the fact that Penny and Joker were already introduced prior to this story: yes, that will finally be cleared up in the next chapter as well. Thank you for reading!**

 **Until next time! Happy New Year!**


	10. One, Two, Three

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the DC Universe nor any recognizable storylines from _Suicide Squad_. I only own my character(s) and the plot of this story. This is rated T for language, possible gore and violence, and mature scenes.**

* * *

 **10\. ONE, TWO, THREE**

"… _according to sources has just recently apprehended notorious villain Harley Quinn who is known for being a regular accomplice to mastermind criminal and resident psychopath, the Joker."_

 _Penny furrowed her brows and adjusted the dial, turning up the volume as a news report on some late night radio station filtered in through the speakers. The roads were wet on this weekend night and though it was late a few cars still cruised through the streets of Gotham, setting Penny on edge. She'd lived in Gotham City long enough to know that its inhabitants rarely knew how to drive on wet pavement and she had no intentions of being pretzeled against a telephone pole at one in the morning on the way home from a party she hadn't even enjoyed attending._

" _Field reports say the woman was pulled from a vehicle that had crashed into Lake Gotham. Not many details have been given but rumor has it the vehicle belonged to the Joker himself who had seemingly fled the scene before he could be captured as well. No word yet on if Quinn sustained any injuries but most likely they'll make a pit stop to Gotham General Hospital where they'll assess both her physical and mental state. Again, nothing's confirmed, but I'm willing to bet if she's unharmed they'll keep her under a 48-hour psychiatric hold and then it's off to Arkham Asylum. As you know, the Joker is a regular patient at the infamous psychiatric hospital…"_

 _Penny frowned, eyes flickering from the radio to the road in front of her. As she was a full-time resident of Gotham and had been for most of her life, Penny knew about Harley Quinn and the Joker because it was impossible not to. Most high-end crimes in the city were committed by one or both of them and they'd been in and out of mental institutions ever since Penny learned how to drive. As the two maniacs didn't concern themselves with lowly townsfolk like her, she wasn't too afraid of running into them. Their sights were mostly set on banks, rich businessmen, and drug cartels. Typical._

 _She wondered how long it'd be before Harley Quinn escaped this time._

 _Penny stopped at a red light and rubbed her eyes until her vision was blurry. She couldn't wait to get home and sleep the weekend away. The party had been a mixer for some of the new people at her company. One of the new recruits was a guy named Mark Fletcher who seemed to take some sort of interest in her on his first day. He was a nice enough guy but he talked her ear off for most of the night and she didn't even get to raid the snack table before she was exhausted and ready to leave. The main reason she went was to please her boss who 'didn't require, only encouraged' her teammates to attend which roughly translated into 'I won't make you go but if I don't see you there I'm knocking ten points off the participation section of your year-end review'._

 _Of course the mixer ended up moving from the quaint little hotel ballroom to the nearest bar and Mark insisted she tag along. She did so reluctantly but didn't let him buy her a drink. Unlike most people, Penny wouldn't consider herself friends with anyone she worked with. She got along with all of them but she couldn't imagine spending time with them outside of business hours. Despite working with most of them for close to two years she didn't really know anything about them. Her team worked under a department of scientists that specialized in technology research which left little time for chats near the water cooler._

 _(In her nearly-three years of working in an office building, not once did she see anyone actually meet up at the water-cooler for a session of juicy gossip. So why was it a cliché in movies and TV shows? She didn't get it.)_

 _The light turned green and she turned left down a more deserted road that she knew was a shortcut to her apartment building's parking garage. There were less streetlamps down this long stretch of road, leaving various sections of the road completely black. In the past the darkness made Penny anxious, afraid that an animal would dart out in front of her car and she wouldn't see it soon enough to stop, but she'd yet to have any issues so it didn't really bother her anymore. The news report eventually faded into music and Penny lowered the volume again, humming along to the tune as she drove._

 _She made it about halfway down the road when she spotted a figure looming on the edge of the street. She squinted her eyes, not really believing what she saw was an actual person until she was only about fifty feet away. They were hunched over, teetering from side to side as they blindly stepped out onto the road right into her lane._

 _She barely had time to think before she was yanking the wheel, jerking her car away from the stumbling person and veering across the opposite lane where her car squealed its tires and smoke billowed up from the back before eventually slowing to a stop. Penny's heart was hammering in her chest as she recovered from the initial panic of almost running someone over and possibly killing them. She swallowed when her throat felt dry and when her brain finally started to work again, she spun around in her seat to try and get a good look at the person to see if they were harmed at all. She couldn't see them from where her car now faced away from the direction they were heading and without thinking she unlocked her car door and climbed out._

 _She stumbled a bit from vertigo and had to clutch the door handle to steady herself. She turned to face the other lane and breathed an internal sigh of relief at the person who continued to stumble and sway down the middle of the road as if the last minute never happened. They seemed to be muttering to themselves, occasionally clutching their head and then punching the air directly after. They had a cream-colored coat on that must've been white at some point but their clothes and hair seemed to be drenched. The lack of light made Penny squint, unable to distinguish any real features of the person especially with their back turned. They could've been homeless._

 _Despite Penny's better judgment of actively not talking to strangers, she took a careful step forward, unable to quench the guilt that she may have scarred this person for life by almost pancaking them to the pavement under her car. By the way they were walking in a diagonal she couldn't help but think with sympathy that they were mentally handicapped in some way. What were they doing out here alone?_

" _Um," she cleared her throat after it cracked. Her heart was still thrumming in her ears. "Um, excuse me? Sir, are you okay?"_

 _She had every intentions of calling the police in hopes that maybe they could get this man home or to a hospital. He didn't acknowledge her question but after about ten seconds of silence he halted about thirty feet away from her. Penny stopped when he did, breath hitching in her throat in anticipation. She opened her mouth to repeat her question but something about the way he was just standing there, stock still like a statue, made her think twice. She furrowed her brows and watched him, waiting for any sort of reaction, and when he just continued to stand there silently warning signs began to flash in her mind._

 _She could almost physically hear the voice of Admiral Akbar screech, "It's a trap!" as she inched back towards her car. But as her shoe scuffed on the damp pavement and echoed softly in the open air between, it seemed to snap the man out of his trance and he turned. Penny straightened her spine, hair rising on the back of her neck. His front was cast entirely in shadow, once again making it impossible to see what he looked like, but there was a flash of silver in the general area of where his mouth was and suddenly all of Penny's senses were screaming at her to run._

 _She only made it about a foot or two back towards her open car door when he stepped into a ray of light from the dim streetlamp behind them. And Penny almost choked on her tongue and nearly tripped over her own two feet at the sight that awaited her._

 _The Joker, the Clown Prince himself, was staring directly at her only a hundred feet away, dripping wet and looking as deranged in person as he did on TV. He was looking at her. Not through a camera but in reality. He was actually there—a mass murderer and notorious psychopath—and there was no one else around. Just them._

 _She was going to die._

 _Penny sputtered, opening and closing her mouth like a fish as the green-haired clown squinted at her with his piercing dark eyes. His footing was still unstable, still murmuring beneath his breath, and Penny couldn't see this ending in any way that wasn't bloody. Judging by his body language, not just the uneven footing but his stiff jaw and squared shoulders, she could tell he was mad. And possibly even more off his rocker than usual. Briefly her mind filtered back to the radio broadcast she heard not five minutes ago and realized exactly why he was there. Harley Quinn was captured by Batman. His car was totaled in Lake Gotham after careening over the edge, probably because Batman was already in pursuit of them._

 _However pissed off he must have been, she was in his way of parading down a deserted road angrily. She interrupted whatever zone he'd locked himself in, a whirlwind of resentment and bloodthirst over losing his precious Queen, and now she was going to feel the brunt of it just because she was a good samaritan._

 _This only proved what she already knew but was too stupid to follow: don't stop for strangers. Even the ones you almost run over by your car._

" _Shit," Penny cursed to herself. She rarely cursed but she figured for once the situation demanded it. "Shit, shit, shit."_

" _Did you know…" the Joker began, speech slurring through his gravely tone, "that bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitos in one hour?"_

 _Penny stood still, eyes wide and frozen._

 _The Joker made a swirling motion with his hand. "Those fuckers eat like twice their body weight in one day. They keeping eating and eating all these bugs and that's why the world isn't full of 'em, it's why they haven't taken over our planet. B'cause the bats eat 'em all…"_

 _He continued stumbling towards her, eyes narrowing further on her shivering form. His words were mostly going through one ear and out the other; she couldn't bring herself to focus much on what he was saying exactly but she had a feeling he was making some sort of reference to Batman._

" _Of all the bugs in the world," he lifted a finger, pausing about ten feet away from her as his brows hardened, "of all the fuckin'_ parasites _this piece of shit planet has to offer, he has to take_ her _."_

 _Penny swallowed. Her palms felt sweaty and she shook her fingers out, glancing both ways behind him to see if she could make a run for it. He seemed out of it just enough that she might have the advantage of coordination to get away from him._

" _I wanna squash him," the Joker said. His golden rings glistened under the streetlamp, casting disco balls over his pale cheeks. "I wanna stick 'im under my foot and feel all his bones crack, see his eyes pop outta his skull, listen to him scream…"_

 _Penny grimaced at the imagery._

" _You know?" he tilted his head. "You ever been so angry you just wanna destroy everything? You ever have sumthin' taken away from you and it makes you feel like you're missing a finger or a toe or some shit. Like you can still walk but it feels fuckin' weird?"_

 _Penny only knew how to shake her head._

" _No?" he tilted his head the other way, a strand of damp green hair falling down into his eyes. His skin looked luminescent under the moonlight and she spotted a few white scars along the flesh with black ink. His lips were crimson and if she didn't know any better she'd say he just finished sinking his teeth into someone's neck. His eyes trailed down below her neck and she wanted to feel affronted by the way he openly looked her over, only to realize that his gaze was trained solely on the badge clipped to her breast pocket from the company mixer. "Pen-ell-oh-pee Wy-zz… Penelope Wise… Pennywise," he grinned, his silver teeth flashing._

" _Penny Weiss," she correctly, voice chopped and rigid._

" _No," he shook his head. He took another step forward and Penny immediately took one back to keep the distance between them. "Pennywise. You a little clown, hm, Pennywise?"_

" _No, I…"_

" _Are you scared?" he asked, ignoring whatever she was about to say. She wasn't even sure herself._

 _She licked her lips. "Um."_

" _You are," he answered for her, eyes lightening. They were a soft blue, Penny realized. A cold color. His grin sharpened. "I can tell. Your pupils are dilated. Either you're really turned on or you're really scared. Can't complain about either…" he continued to advance on her and Penny kept stepping back until she felt the back of her legs hit the base of her car. "What's a pretty little thing like you doin' out here? Didn't your mommy ever tell you not to stay out after dark?"_

 _He was close enough that Penny could feel his warm breath on her face. He reached a pale hand forward and prodded one of her blonde curls with his finger._

" _You naturally blonde?" he murmured. Penny was trembling as she carefully glanced up into his eyes, noticing that his pupils were also dilated._

" _No," she answered, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice. "Please..."_

" _I'm gonna get her back," the Joker said, venom lacing his tone. His face was stoic aside from his blown eyes and she could feel the vengeance radiating off of him like a hum on the air. "Just you watch, Pennywise, I'll get her back… I always do. They'll regret it."_

 _Penny was close to passing out from how fast her heart was beating. His pink tongue ran over the silver teeth in his mouth, jaw rotating, and she almost wanted to scream until she spotted a pair of headlights on the far end of the road. It was coming in their direction. The Joker noticed her gazing wide-eyed over his shoulder and he turned around. The second he was distracted she quickly tumbled into the driver's seat and slammed the door shut. She saw him whip around, his white suit jacket flailing from the force. With a gasp she locked the door and not a second later he slammed his palms onto the roof of her car._

" _Oh god!" she jumped. She tried remembering how to work a car, the gearshift and gauge cluster blurring in and out of focus._

" _Come on now, Pennywise, I just wanna have some_ _ **fun**_ _!" he taunted, slamming his hand roughly into the window a couple inches from her head. She jolted again and stuffed her head into hands trying to calm herself down enough so she could think._

 _She heard the screeching of tires and she pulled her head out of her hands, spotting a large black vehicle that had skidded to a stop adjacent from her car in the middle of the road. The Joker cackled at the person, digging his fist a few times into the side mirror of her car until the mirror cracked down the middle._

 _Penny regained enough of her bearings and smashed her foot on the brake so she could put the car in drive. She gave one last look at the Joker's hunched form, barely seeing as a man in a black suit stepped out of the vehicle to greet the clown and usher him into the car. The Joker seemed jolly enough to see the man but that didn't stop him from watching as she peeled away from the scene, burning rubber as she floored it down the road._

" _I'll catch ya later, Pennywise! Betcha I'll never forget! You'll see! You'll_ _ **all**_ _see!"_

 _His maniacal laugh echoed hauntingly in her car's wake as she slowly watched his form grow smaller and smaller in her rearview mirror. Her hands were unsteady on the steering wheel and her breathing was ragged as her speedometer hit 90 mph._

 _She never thought she'd actually see him again._

 _And she certainly never thought she'd come to owe him a debt._

 _This was the first encounter out of three in total she'd have with Gotham's very own Clown Prince and only the beginning of the dark path of corruption and toxicity he would soon lead her down._

* * *

The first thing Penny felt when she came to was searing hot pain in her left arm and the cold, clammy nighttime air of Midway City, Illinois.

There was smoke in the air threatening to clog her lungs and as she regained more of her senses, she realized her mouth was already open in a shriek of agony as she rolled over onto her back. The pressure released from her arm felt better but also worse as the pain was now exposed to the bitter cold. She clutched the arm to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut in a tight wince as she groaned. She flexed her fingers experimentally and thankfully didn't feel sore from it. She was pretty sure her arm wasn't broken, just really banged up, and as she finally tried blinking her eyes open she realized she had a massive headache to make up for it. She groaned again and with the last bit of strength left in her, she carefully lifted herself up into a sitting position.

She was huffing and gasping afterward, unable to tell if she was going to pass out again or throw up at the way her head was swimming. It took another minute for her to regain her bearings and when she finally made an attempt to look around, her heart skipped. There was wreckage scattered all over the main road they landed on, continuing a few hundred feet down to the intersection where the chopper had crashed and gone up in flames. To her immediate right was Frost who was also hunched over his own lap and assessing the damage. He had a deflated parachute attached to his back and Penny's mind finally made the connection that she must've hitched a ride with him when the chopper went down.

"Fuck!" she heard someone shout. She whipped around, wincing at the vertigo she gave herself, and saw Mister J pounding his fist into the pavement repeatedly. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck!_ "

Penny watched with wide eyes as he pulled his hand away, blood spilling over his knuckles from the force. He didn't seem to notice. He kicked his legs out, screeching and pulling at his hair, smearing in red with green and Penny felt the screams all the way to her core. It was almost like watching a kid throw a tantrum, except this kid was bloodthirsty and snarling like an animal with a few knives tucked into its pockets.

"Those fucking— _fuck!_ They fucking took her _again!_ "

He breathed deeply, chest heaving as he clutched his head and stared up at the sky, still sprawled out on his back. It looked like he was trying to regain his composure, like he was having an all-out battle with his own mind. Even from where Penny was sitting she could see the whites of his eyes flashing as his eyes flitted from left to right as if he were trying to follow a heated argument taking place inside his head.

"We gotta scram, boss," Frost spoke up, his voice rough. "I figure this crash gotta attract some sort of attention and we don't wanna be here when it does."

"They took her again. Fuckin' took her from me again – _fuck, fuck, fuck,_ " he slammed the heel of his palms into his forehead. "I'm gonna fuckin'…"

"I know," Frost said. He didn't sound sympathetic but instead authoritative, glancing around for signs of any onlookers. Most seemed to be huddling down by the crash and though Penny was certain someone had to have seen them by now, they weren't looking to make themselves known yet. "Let's go. We'll figure something out but right now we gotta find some place to lay low."

Maneuvering past Penny, Frost stood close to Mister J and waited for him to move. Mister J's jaw was clenched, the sinew stretching in his neck as he forced himself to his feet with a stumble. Penny was reminded of when she first saw him, fumbling and uncoordinated as he lost himself in his own torrid thoughts of getting his Harley Quinn back no matter what the cost. Except this time she had a feeling it would cost more lives.

Penny was suddenly hit with the reminder of Dr. Van Chris and her heart shuddered as she pressed forward on her knees, spinning around to see if she could spot him anywhere. Her eyes darted around them and down the street, the swimming in her head getting worse the longer it took her to find him. He wasn't there. He wasn't _there_. Had no one helped him? Did he not get a parachute? Did he fall out of the chopper before it hit the ground or was he trapped inside when it landed?

Penny slumped back until she was sitting on her feet, feeling the harsh reality of the scientist's death as it consumed her like a fever. Her blood turned to ice as she thought of his wife, the woman Mister J's men were no doubt still tormenting and would probably never release now that her husband was dead. She felt even sicker to her stomach and the pain in her arm lessened into a dull ache as this pain was pulled to the forefront. This was her fault.

She heard a snarl and turned numbly to face Mister J who had just spun on his heels to look at her. His blue eyes were sharp and cold, skin even more translucently pale than before with a jagged red cut lining his temple and dirt on his cheek. His nostrils flared as he continued to breathe heavily, holding eye contact with her for reasons she didn't know. The tenseness of his brows and the intensity of his stare slowly faded until his face was nothing but a blank slate aside from the snarl curling his upper lip.

"Let's go."

Even though his eyes were on her when he said it, Penny could sense that the words weren't directed to her and it made her stomach feel hollow.

Mister J turned with his shoulders stiff and began stalking down the edge of the road and Penny's mind had almost completely shut off before it began to work in hyper drive. She scrambled to her feet, wincing as the cuts and gashes in her arm pulled the skin. She fell to her knees before she was able to push herself all the way up and she tried to protest without knowing what to say.

"W-wait, where are you going, what—"

"It's your lucky day," Mister J drawled, voice sounding far away as his back was still to her with Frost in tow. "You're free to go."

Penny mouthed wordlessly. "What do you m—? We're in Illinois!" she cried, waving her arms around. "You can't just leave me here!"

"Can't I?" she saw Mister J tilt his head as he kept marching forward and Penny felt a drop of rain hit her cheek as she followed him. "You have no obligation to me anymore and therefore I have no obligation to you. You did what I wanted you to do and I kept you alive. That was the deal, wasn't it?"

"B-but…" Penny's eyes were wide and she couldn't get the words out fast enough. "That's not fair, you can't just leave me here! I don't know where to go! I have no way of getting back home!"

Mister J whirled around and Penny's once determined footsteps towards him faltered. The rain began to come down hard and Penny could vaguely hear police sirens echoing down the road where the chopper was still aflame. She stumbled backward and braced herself as he set his deadly glare on her instead.

"Fair? Is that the game we're playing? Because I've got a few things going on right now that aren't exactly _fair_ ," he backed her into a building wall and sneered in her face, eyes wide and piercing as he lifted his hand to tightly wrap his cold wet fingers around her throat. "You're useless to me now. _Useless_ ," he spat and Penny recoiled as if she'd been slapped, grappling onto his wrist to try and lessen the grip on her airways. "Unless you magically got some tricks up your skirt that'll bring me my Queen then you're _wasting_ my time," he paused expectantly, nails digging into her flesh. She choked and her eyes stung with unshed tears from the pain. "Well, do you?"

Penny was shivering from the rain and wind and she spotted Frost standing behind Mister J keeping a watchful eye on the red and blue flashing lights down the road where a crowd seemed to have gathered. She could faintly hear police ushering civilians away from the debris.

She shook her head no with what little room Mister J left her to move her head and his black eyes narrowed.

"Thought so," he replied quietly, words poisonous. "So find your own damn way home."

With one more forceful push against her throat, he dropped his hand and disappeared around the corner. Frost was quick to follow but not without sparing Penny an unreadable glance. There may have been some sympathy there, there may not have been. She couldn't bring herself to care if there was.

"Keep your head down," he advised lightly before he was out of sight, too.

Penny stared blankly at the spot they once were, still able to make out the imprints of their shoes on the damp pavement. For a few moments she couldn't feel anything. Her mind was white noise and her ears rang from the static of emptiness before her heart started to thrum painfully in her chest.

She was alone.

She was in a state completely new to her, hundreds of miles from home, and she was all alone.

She couldn't even remember the last time she rode a plane by herself. It had to have been years. But at least then she had a destination. There were people waiting for her at both ends. Now she had no one. She was utterly alone and had nowhere to go.

Penny slid down the wall, the roughness of it scraping against her back and bunching up the lab coat on her way down as her chest heaved. Her lungs contracted, inflating and deflating too fast for any oxygen to flow to her brain and she cupped her hand to her mouth. Her vision blurred as the tears flowed freely down her cheeks, blending in with the drops of cold rain that sprinkled her face. Her body spasmed as she cried, unable to breathe but unable to stop either. She curled her legs into her chest, wrapping her arms around her bent knees. Her hands were shaking, either from the chilly moist air or the adrenaline. Maybe both. She wanted to bury her head into her knees and cry until she didn't have any tears left, almost did just that, but then she heard the police sirens again.

Eyes red-rimmed and swollen, she lifted her head in the direction of the wreckage. It was starting to attract even more attention and through her sorrow and exhaustion she knew she needed to leave. Or at least find somewhere else to hide where she could cry in peace. The last thing she needed was to get caught now. After everything she'd been through, after everything he put her through, she wasn't going to let it all go to waste by being thrown in a jail cell.

If that happened, he would've won.

He would find out eventually, whether it be from a news broadcast or through the grapevine, he'd hear about it one day and he would do absolutely nothing about it. Because she was _useless_ to him. He used her. She knew he used her. She wasn't _stupid_. It'd probably be the highlight of his day to find out that good ole Pennywise got snuffed by the fuzz all because he left her behind to rot. He'd toast the television screen with a cup of grape soda, Harley Quinn curled against his arm, at the flash of her mugshot. He'd get the last laugh. He always got the last laugh.

She couldn't let that happen.

Wiping her nose, she haphazardly pushed herself up and away from the wall, shivering from the breeze as the rain soaked her head. She whipped her head from left to right to see if she could find a clear path to run without being recognized. As her eyes roamed over the road in front of her, she squinted at something black that flashed on the pavement. With furrowed brows, she checked to make sure no one was heading her way before she scrambled out to the middle of the road and snatched up the pistol Mister J had given her before they boarded the chopper. She'd yet to use it. And she'd be damned if one of the policemen found it with her fingerprints pasted all over it like paint splatters under a black light.

She lifted her head again and scoped out the perimeter. There was loud chatter by the wreckage, a few vehicles roaming the streets on all sides of the intersection. Occasionally there was a patriotic flash of red and blue followed by a high-pitched siren, alerting those in the area to remain vigilant and keep their distance. Penny licked her lips and dropped the pistol in the lab coat's pocket before making a dash across the street to an alleyway that led out of sight. She pressed her back against the brick wall, a very cliché move, as she paused to catch her breath. Her heart was still beating unevenly and it was making her legs feel like jelly. The panic had passed for the time being but she knew it was only a matter of time before it'd resurface like an active ticking bomb.

She hated to think that she was the bomb this time.

She leaned forward and ran her trembling wet fingers through her hair, repeating _it's going to be okay_ like a mantra inside her head even if she didn't believe it was. She just needed to get somewhere safe, preferably somewhere far away before police started to patrol the area. For a split second she had a dark, hopeful thought that they'd linger on the charred remains of Dr. Van Chris long enough for her to get away. She'd feel properly guilty for that later when the rest of her sanity crumbled down.

She raised back up and tilted her head back, squinting up at the sky as it continued to pelt the world below it with water. It's not like anybody up there would actually listen if she begged for help, begged for someone or something to help make sure she made it out of this alive. It wouldn't have been fair of her to ask in the first place. It's not like she'd ever been on speaking terms with the man upstairs, even if He did exist. Plus she was a felon, wasn't she? Pretty sure that meant her access was revoked anyway.

With a deep breath, Penny kicked away from the wall and jogged down the other end. She peered her head out to see if she could spot anyone of authority. Her white lab coat had to have been like a beacon in the dark light but she couldn't rid herself of it yet. It was one of the few things keeping her warm, or as warm as she could be in soaked clothes. She couldn't find anyone and slipped out onto the sidewalk, walking in the opposite direction of the crash with sirens echoing mockingly behind her. She kept her head down and dropped her hands inside her lab coat pockets, flinching at the cool metal of the gun against her right hand's knuckles.

She wasn't sure how long or far she walked. She kept heading straight in hopes of putting as much distance between her and the chopper's wreckage as possible. She didn't pay much attention to where she went, only turning when the sidewalk curved. At some point she knew she crossed the street and it's a wonder she didn't get run over but the streets seemed surprisingly empty. Or maybe not so surprising. Most of the roads downtown were most likely closed.

Her mind was working in overdrive as she walked. She felt the soreness in her feet even after she removed her shoes and held them limply at her side but she didn't focus much on it or how weird she must have looked to passersby, who were few and far between but were still there nonetheless. The world still carried on even after she felt like her life had stopped. She didn't know where to go from there. Didn't know what her plan was. So far the first and only thing on her mental list was _keep your head down and keep going_.

She found that the further she walked the angrier she got. Somewhere between leaving the alleyway and crossing the road her sorrow faded into resentment. At first she was angry with herself for allowing him to string her along. How could she have been so weak? So foolish? She should have stood up for herself. Or moved away to where he could never find her. Something. She could have done _something_. But she didn't. Stupid. He may have been the Clown Prince of Crime, Gotham's most infamous, but that didn't mean he was impenetrable. Unstoppable. Everyone had a weakness. She should have tried to figure out what his was. She was around him enough. She was supposed to be smart. Top of her class, second in line for valedictorian. To use his words, she was supposed to be a fucking genius.

Yet she didn't even know how to get back home.

But none of this would have happened if it weren't for him. She just had to run into him, had to meet him, had to let him royally fuck up her life. That's all he was—chaos and destruction. He left everything behind him in ruins. He had no compassion, only tunnel vision for things _he_ wanted. He manipulated everything around him, bending things to his will, to satisfy _his_ needs. He didn't actually care about her. She knew he didn't; knew all along that she was just playing his game. But even still she felt let down. And it made her so mad. So fucking mad. He played her like a fiddle and she was bitter about it. Because of him she saw people die, she was pushed to her breaking point, she was deceived… she was made a fool.

A jester, if you will. Someone to entertain him. How ironic.

But even after all that anger she still felt tired. The anger only succeeded in making her more tired and every few seconds she considered curling up on the sidewalk beneath her to just sleep. With any luck she'd wake up to find out that all of it had been some hideous dream. She'd shower, go to work, and return to a life of normalcy, and only hear about him through news reports and late night radio stations. The way it should've been. If only she hadn't turned down that street all those months ago. If only she hadn't stopped the car when she saw him stumbling into her lane. If she just kept driving forward… if only.

Penny didn't stop until she felt like her feet were going to break. She leaned against a tall white building with intricate carvings, probably a couple decades old by the architecture. She rested her head against the exterior and breathed in slowly through her nose. Her brain felt fat inside her head like it was going to explode out her ears, the beat of her heart thrumming agonizingly behind her eyes. Her stomach, on the other hand, felt like it shrunk a few sizes. Her hunger was to the point of heartburn but the thought of actually eating something made her feel nauseated. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open and she realized that she really should've been looking for a place to curl up at least a mile back.

She spotted a small staircase a few feet away and hobbled over to it, plopping down on the second stair with a pained sigh as she took the weight off her feet. Her lips felt chapped as she licked them and she almost wanted to kneel on the ground to lick up the leftover moisture of the rain that had stopped a good half hour ago but she wasn't quite desperate enough yet. She rested her body against the side of the building, slouching back against the stairs. The edges dug into her spine but only left her feeling mildly uncomfortable in comparison to everything else that had happened. She let her eyelids fall shut and slowly her breathing evened out. She was cold and sore and anxious but just sitting down made her feel loads better and before she knew it she was asleep.

The sleep didn't last for long. At some point a car drove past her, the tires kicking up a puddle and spraying her feet as it sped down the road. She jolted at the sudden noise, her head throbbing and mouth feeling like cotton as she grimaced at her soaked dirty toes. She lifted a hand from her pocket to clutch her temple, feeling her stringy hair as it plastered itself to her forehead and cheek from the angle. She couldn't imagine what she looked like right now with her dirty lab coat, blackened feet, and ripped slacks. People probably thought she was some nutter who lost it at work and made a run for it, some sort of midlife crisis thing that had been building up over the past few years. It's almost what her day felt like, to be honest.

She arched her back and groaned as her spine cracked in a few places. Once she slouched again she felt the cramps in her muscles from sitting in such an awkward position for who-knows-how-long. It was still dark outside, the streetlamps reflecting off the wet pavement as it was too cold for the roads to dry. She couldn't be assed to know what time it was and wasn't very good at guessing. She didn't even know what time the chopper crashed, only that it happened not long after sunset. It had to have been at least two or three in the morning by now.

The question was: should she leave or stay? She was sure if someone caught her napping on a public property come morning time they'd usher her up and to the nearest police station or hospital given the chance which wasn't something she wanted to risk. She had no means of identification and a loaded gun in her pocket—not a good combination. The odds of leaving were more in her favor and she made to stand with a wince, only to have something catch her eye in the building across the street.

There was a window lit on one of the top floors, curtains pulled aside with a figure standing between them. The orange light behind them hid all of their features aside from a tall, strong silhouette but as Penny narrowed her eyes she felt her heart skip. It felt almost too good to be true and she wanted to believe that she was just seeing things; that her eyes were playing tricks on her or maybe she was still asleep. Because she knew that silhouette, knew the stature of the person it belonged to very well, but it couldn't have been him, right? There's no way she could happen upon him hours later in the middle of a large city, could she?

She watched closely as the silhouette's head tilted down, seemingly in the direction of where she sat, and for a moment she was convinced their eyes met even if she could see nothing but black on their tiny face. Then they were gone, backing away from the window and pulling the curtains tight until the orange light was dulled behind a thin veil. Even as they were turning away she could almost swear she saw the strap of a parachute jutting out from their torso.

It was Frost. She was positive it was him. It _had_ to be him.

Penny wasn't much of a believer in fate. She couldn't see how the world had plans set in motion for every person, how it could intertwine your fate with someone's else's and make you "destined to meet", if you will. But she did believe in coincidences, knew they happened all the time, and this was one of the best ones she'd encountered yet. And maybe fate did have a play in it, probably some sick sense of humor, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

She considered waiting it out outside. She could keep an eye on the building, front and back, and wait for them to leave and then follow a few paces behind without being spotted. If they snagged a private jet or something then she would probably be out of luck but if she was stealthy enough she could maybe try smuggling herself inside. But something told her it wasn't going to be that easy. She was almost certain Frost saw her.

It was almost funny to think that she unknowingly walked straight to them. A small part of her wondered if they had been keeping tabs on her the whole time but she quickly brushed that aside. Obviously there were more important things to deal with but when she spotted Frost's form in the window, it was almost as if he'd been waiting for her to see him. Could he have maybe thrown her a bone?

She wanted to believe it. Even though Frost wasn't exactly on the straight and narrow, he was the closest thing to civilized she'd seen in Mister J's world. And every now and then he would slip that he cared about her, at least in some way. Like when he warned her at the club or just tonight when he advised her to keep her head down. She couldn't have imagined all of that. But he was also the closest thing to a friend Mister J had and everything he did seemed to play into the Joker's cards one way or another. So really, how could she know if he was trying to help her or not? She couldn't.

With pursed lips she stood shakily from the steps, grinding her teeth at the soreness returning to her feet. She dropped her hand into her pocket, feeling the cool metal of the gun that was still nestled inside, and scaled the building with her eyes. It was an older building, much like most of the buildings tucked away on this street, and there was a faded sign in cursive print that stated it was a hotel. It didn't look horrible but it wasn't the best either. Penny was easily able to find the window Frost disappeared in, the orange glow of the light still glimmering inside. She counted silently to herself. They were on the sixth floor out of seven, third window from the left not quite in the middle but close.

After scanning both sides of the street, she made her way across to the steps leading up to the entrance. She paused before entering and glanced warily down at her ensemble. Even though most hotels below four stars didn't require any sort of identification or key card to enter, she knew she still looked a bit out of place and would not doubt catch some unwanted attention. Her left arm was starting to feel sore again and she lifted it up, grimacing at the tears in the coat sleeve that were stained with red. The gashes on her arm were still fresh and glistening red and she had to look away before she dry heaved. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair, digging her hands through the tangles as she watched through the door at the front desk where two well-dressed woman stood talking amongst themselves.

Penny slinked back into the shadows and waited until the two of them were well enough distracted that she could open the door without alerting them to her presence. She stepped inside unnoticed and walked silently around the lobby, sticking close to the wall and out of sight as her eyes searched for the elevators. They were to the right. She waited a few more seconds until one of the woman disappeared into the back and the other leaned down beneath the desk. She took the opportunity and walked quickly to the elevators, thankful that the floors were carpet to muffle her shuffling feet. It was hard to make herself appear "casual yet rushed", knowing that the lobby had to have cameras propped up somewhere. It was highly unlikely anyone would check them but still, she needed to dot all her I's and cross all her T's.

She rounded the corner to the elevators with no issues and released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as she pressed the up button. The elevator _dinged_ immediately and she stepped inside, pressing the number six. She felt her stomach coil anxiously as the doors closed and the elevator lifted. With the buzz of each floor number she felt her heart slowly work its way into her throat and by the time the monitor by the door flashed "6" she almost lost her nerve. The elevator jolted before the doors slowly slid open and she half expected to see Mister J waiting for her with a sneer. Luckily there was no one aside from two vending machines and an ice maker that hummed in the quietness of the hall.

It felt like ages before Penny stepped out of the elevator. She almost called it back when the doors closed but instead she clenched her jaw and tried making sense of where she was in the building in comparison to what she was looking at outside. She glanced out a nearby window and recognized one of the buildings. If she had been standing on the steps outside, the building would have been to her right. She was on the wrong side of the hotel.

Heart thumping wildly behind her ribcage she made her way down the far hall. She couldn't tell if she was thinking too many things or not enough but either way her brain was only registering static. It felt like years before she reached the end of the hall and then she counted the doors. The window was third from the left.

One, two, three…

She stopped in front of a door. It read 133. Her throat ran dry and she tried swallowing a few times but there wasn't enough saliva in her mouth to coat it. She grinded her teeth and remembered the way it felt to walk down a deserted road, cold and tired and hungry, and know he was the cause of it. She remembered the resentment and bitterness he made her feel, emotions that she hadn't felted in years and never as strongly as she did tonight. She remembered what he brought out in her. Hatred, distrust, anxiety, terror, confusion.

Face stony, she reached into her lab coat and wrapped her fingers around the pistol. She pulled it out and tested the weight of it in her hand, slipping her finger towards the trigger. The foreboding was doing a number on her sanity and she took a few deep breaths. There was a click as her thumb turned off the safety. She lifted the pistol. Her skin felt like ice and she could hear nothing over the blood pumping furiously in her ears. She needed to do this. She _needed_ to.

She raised a fist and knocked on the door three times.

At first there was nothing, no sound of any activity inside the room. She waited long enough that she almost considered running down the hall in case she got the wrong room but then there was shuffling behind the door. She heard a dull thump, like someone placed their hand against the surface of the door, and then there was a pause. She stared ahead at the peephole. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, knowing that someone was watching her through it. Then the sound of a chain being pulled rattled against the door and Penny squared her shoulders, stiffened her jaw, and the second the door opened she lifted her gun to their head.

The barrel was aimed directly at Mister J's head.

He was leaning against the doorframe, arm propping him up as he hunched forward with a blank look on his face. His eyes were bland, the angry cut on his temple red and irritated, and the sharp set of his jaw made his face narrower. He lost his black suit jacket and was dressed in a style more familiar to her with a white unbuttoned shirt and dress pants. His green hair was in disarray, framing his face and making him appear younger than he was. Even still with a gun pressed against his forehead he looked severely unamused.

"Look what the cat dragged in," he drawled, voice scratchy like he hadn't spoken in days.

"Take me home," Penny said steadily through clenched teeth.

"Why do all the pretty ones have to put a gun to my head?" Mister J called over his shoulder, not removing his eyes from hers. Penny spotted Frost watching from inside the room, standing straight as his eyes darted between them.

" _Take me home_ ," she repeated, words wavering. She already felt tears stinging her eyes and it pissed her off that she couldn't control them.

Mister J didn't say anything right away. He tilted his head.

"Didn't we already go through this?" he squinted as if he couldn't really remember.

"I don't care," Penny said, feeling a tear fall down her cheek. Mister J watched it in interest. "I have no phone, no wallet, no anything. It was all lost in the chopper. I have nothing here. Just take me home and you'll never have to see me again."

Mister J's face gave nothing away and he was startlingly unaffected by the hard metal still resting against his head.

"You know what our mission was today?" Penny opened and closed her mouth. Mister J's eyes flashed like sapphire knives. "I want to hear you say it."

Penny breathed heavily through her nose. "Rescue Harley Quinn."

"Right," Mister J nodded slowly as if speaking to a toddler. "And did we accomplish that?" he crooked his head as Penny considered what to say until he lost his patience. His bland eyes were suddenly aflame as he repeated louder, "I said, did we _accomplish_ that?"

"No," Penny replied shortly.

" _No_ ," his lips turned downward. "We failed. Everything we did was for nothing. Everything you did to help me was for fucking nothing because they still have her. I _don't_ have her. Do you _see_ the problem?" his nostrils flared as he glared at her, shoulders tense. Penny could feel him vibrating with anger and knew she needed to turn the conversation around before it escalated to proportions she wasn't prepared to deal with.

"Look," she lifted her head and readjusted her grip on the gun. "I know you're upset. I'm upset that you're upset," she attempted to stress this through her eyes. It didn't faze him. "But things need to move forward. I need to go home. You need to go home. I need you to take me home because there's no one else that can. I don't _have_ anyone else."

"Why should I?" he breathed after a moment of tense silence. Penny cocked the gun in hopes that it would be answer enough. Something about this must've humored him because Mister J flashed his silver teeth. "S'that supposed to scare me, Pennywise?"

"That's the idea," she replied, attempting to sound light.

"This your plan?" he taunted quietly, looking at her with that intensity she could barely tolerate like he was peeling her apart layer by layer. "Threaten me into taking you back? Killing me if I don't?"

"More or less," she said stiffly.

He tsked, his fingers tapping against the doorframe. "Not very creative, Pennywise. Think you've gotten a little rusty."

She pressed the gun further against his forehead and he paused, taking in a deep breath as his mouth opened wide. He waited for her to do something, the twinkle in his eye suggesting he wasn't feeling at all threatened by her or her gun even if the anticipation thrilled him. That made her angrier.

"You won't do it," he mocked. He made it sound so nonchalant, like there wasn't even a fleeting concern of her blowing his brains out, and she bristled.

"I will."

"You won't," he said easily. He pulled his arm away from the doorframe and rested it at his side with the other one. "You wanna know why? Because what if the second you pull the trigger, our neighbors come running out and see you with a weapon and me with a bullet in my head. What do you think they'd do?"

"Everyone knows who you are," Penny said, shrugging a shoulder. "I'd like to think they'd thank me."

"Feisty," he grinned. He adjusted his footing, still allowing the barrel of the gun to press against his flesh. Penny imagined there was a ring imprinted into the skin there now. "What happens when they call the police? Would you be able to get out fast enough? Let's face it, Pennywise, the world is full of sensitive fucks and even if they hate me, they'd hate you too because you'd be a killer. Like me. The world's pretty biased against killers. And I don't think you'd survive very long in prison. You're too _nice_."

"Me putting a bullet in your head is _nice?_ " she asked, eyebrows raised. Her hand that was holding the gun was trembling and she'd be stupid to think Mister J hadn't noticed.

"I mean, I wouldn't complain. Rather you choke me or something you know," he lifted a shoulder with a wry grin, "make it interesting but whatever tickles your fancy, Pennywise. I just don't think you got the balls to do it. See," he leaned forward, bending her arm as he applied pressure to the gun. Penny made a face, her stomach quivering. "If you really wanted to kill me, you would've done it a long time ago."

Penny's nose twitched and her lips shook.

"Please," she said quietly, eyes watery.

"So polite," he sang, voice almost a whisper.

"Please just take me home," she begged. The gun slipped down between his eyes and he went cross-eyed looking at it. He licked his red lips and returned his eyes to hers.

"Why would I? You've just threatened me," he bowed his head a bit, voice ringing deeper. "I don't like threats. Who's to say I won't kill you the second you have your back turned? You've been very naughty."

She bit the inside of her cheek, tears freely falling down her cheeks and leaving streaks in their wake.

"I just want to go home," her voice cracked. "That's all. That's _all_."

Mister J was quiet. His eyes skimmed her face, tracing over the tears and down to the dirt marks along her neck and the way her lab coat was ripped and slashed. The edges of her clothes were still dripping with water and she smelled like mildew. He looked at her the way someone would look at an injured dog they felt pity for but didn't want to bother helping. She was gasping now, breathing coming out in spurts as the arm holding the gun wavered until it fell limply to her side. Her face contorted and twisted as she cried, hating herself for being too weak. Hating herself for not being capable of murder, of all things.

"What do you think, Frost?" Mister J spoke up. Penny didn't cease her crying and her shoulders shook as Mister J's lip curled at the spectacle. "She's a sopping mess, ain't she?"

"I'd say so, boss," came Frost's weary reply.

Penny felt a cold hand cup her cheek and she flinched violently. Mister J had a hard grip on her chin, making her wince at the pain in her neck when she tried pulling away. His thumb brushed over the wetness of her cheekbone, pulling her close until their bodies were only inches apart. She felt his warm breath fan her face and she sucked in an uneven breath.

"Lost little bird," Mister J taunted lowly, tracing the features of her face with his thumb. "Got her wings clipped. Can't fly home."

"Please," Penny tried pulling away again, feeling disgusted both with him and herself. He didn't let her move, instead pinching her chin between his thumb and forefinger. His soft face hardened into something more lethal as he forced her to look him in the eye.

"You need me," he stated with a swell of conniving pride. His eyes narrowed into slits like a snake. "You have no one else."

"That's what I said," she agreed rigidly, hating that it was being repeated. Hating how much he loved to see her break.

"Say it," Mister J's lips curved into a dangerous smile. "I wanna hear you say it."

"I already did," Penny said through another wave of tears.

"Say it again."

He waited eagerly, head bowed as his eyes bore deeply into hers. The smile had gradually fallen off his face as he stroked the soft skin below her lower lip. She wondered if this was his way of coping with the loss of Harley Quinn all over again, his restitution, or if he really enjoyed making her dive deep into herself and pull out the secrets she would have otherwise never said aloud. It frustrated her more than she could ever admit how easily the tables were turned, how effortlessly he managed to turn everything around until he was dominate over the situation. Then again, she figured he always had been.

"I need you," she choked the words out, feeling herself wither up inside at the admission. It was vile hearing the words spew from her mouth and even worse knowing that at the moment those words were true. "I have no one else."

"If I agree," he began slowly, pleased with her confession, his words flowing like poisoned honey, "then that means you owe me. You really wanna be in my debt again, Pennywise?"

Another stray tear fell from one of her eyes as she stared at him, unsure of what to think or say. Her stomach was still spasming from the aftereffects of her crying and she clenched the gun tightly in her hand, wishing she could just lift it and pull the trigger. He was in control. She was too _nice_.

"I asked you a question," Mister J hedged warningly, gripping her chin tighter until his nails dug into the flesh.

She had no choice. And it made her feel even sicker.

"If you'll take me home then yes," she agreed weakly, tears burning her eyes again. He won after all. "Just please. Please take me home."

His thumb rose a few inches to caress her bottom lip that trembled. His jaw moved as he grinded his teeth and then his eyes brightened.

"Then come inside, doll. You must be freezing."

* * *

 **I know. It's been over a month. I feel like it's a cliche thing to say but honestly January was a shitty month and February is turning into an equally shitty month. A lot of personal things have decided to explode in my face at the same time and I've just been trying to clean up the mess. It's mostly been financial stress which is the worst and trying to make up for it by working extra hours, leaving me little to no time to myself. But I just wanted to let you guys know I never forgot about this story. I actually spent a lot of time thinking about it and how awesome you guys are for still favoriting, following and reviewing. Your responses keep me going and make me excited to write new chapters even if they may take a while to finish sometimes.**

 **Hope you guys liked this one! I'm glad I was finally able to show you all how Penny and the Joker were introduced. They end up meeting one more time before the events you saw in chapter one which will be disclosed in due time! And how about that ending? Poor Penny. I sometimes feel bad about the way she gets treated and how much of an inner battle she has with herself. If there's one thing the Joker is good at, it's helping people discover their inner demons especially if they're around him enough.**

 **Huge thank you like always to the following people for reviewing:** **Angrypancakegoddess , IFoundHopeInYourHateForMe, inspiredbywho, Fire and Ash, inperfection, Fallen1019, Guest x3, GimmiepizzaPlz, Love Fiction 2016, GreenHoneyTea, shelbygrace, Mistress Of Yours, TheGhostWriter91 and Lilly's mommy. Hopefully the story is continuing to meet your expectations! I can't wait to venture further into the world of PennyxJoker and eventually bring Harley into the mix for good! That ought to toss things up, eh? That little bit we got of her in the last chapter was such a tease.**


	11. The Definition of Insanity

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the DC Universe nor any recognizable storylines from _Suicide Squad_. I only own my character(s) and the plot of this story. This is rated T for language, possible gore and violence, and mature scenes.**

* * *

 **11\. THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY**

"You can hang the lab coat in the bathroom," was Frost's way of greeting Penny as she entered the room. "Let it air dry."

"What about the rest of my clothes?" Penny asked, only slightly sarcastic. Her eyes were puffy and her nose felt congested from her tears, both of which she tried to hide behind her hand as she scratched the bridge of her nose.

Frost barely lifted an eyebrow. "You could use the hairdryer."

Penny didn't respond and instead scoped out the room. It was decently sized for how unkempt the outside had looked. There were two full beds resting against the left wall, both of which already looked slept in, with a nightstand between them. Across sat a medium-sized television set above a dresser and along the far wall was a window with pulled curtains where she first spotted Frost. The low lighting made it feel cozy, something that made Penny awfully out of place considering who her roommates were for the evening.

"What time is it?" asked Penny with her arms wrapped around herself.

"Half past one," Frost gestured to the clock with shining red numbers on the nightstand. So early still? "You look knackered."

"I feel it," Penny rubbed her eyes, stiffening when she felt Mister J slip around her.

There was a chair placed in front of the window and he plopped down on it, propping his elbow on one of the arms and resting his chin on top of his hand. He looked serene as he relaxed there though Penny could spot the hard lines creasing his forehead. He must've been deep in thought. The brashness from earlier had all but faded from his face and Penny could almost forget the way he acted not two minutes ago. Almost.

"Hang your coat up," Frost repeated when Penny didn't move. She felt a bit dazed like her mind wasn't completely there and she blinked at Frost who turned on the white bathroom light. "Try to dry your clothes if you can unless you want to catch a cold."

"Wouldn't happen to be any body spray in there would there? I smell like a puddle of dirty water," she wrinkled her nose, trailing slowly after him.

Frost considered her question as he loosened the vest around his torso while eyeing himself in the mirror.

"You could use the body soap and try soaking them. Might not clean them very well but it'd get rid of the smell."

"I don't have anything to change into," Penny countered, feeling a bit sheepish that she'd brought it up.

Frost shrugged. "Up to you. The bathroom's yours for now. I wouldn't use the hairdryer too long though. It's loud."

He breezed past her out the doorway and Penny watched him retreat, sparing Mister J another glance who hadn't taken his eyes off the curtain-covered window since sitting down. Biting the inside of her cheek she softly closed the door and leaned against it once shut, squeezing her eyes and breathing deeply through her nose.

"I can't believe this is happening," she whispered to herself. She pressed her forehead against the door and stood in silence a good minute before pulling herself together and reopening her eyes. With a sigh she backed further into the bathroom and gave herself a once over in the mirror for the first time since yesterday morning.

She looked horrible.

Her hair was matted and springy, appearing a dull brown rather than her usual golden blonde as it laid flat against her head with dirt caked into her scalp. There were dirt smears and brown stains crusted onto her cheeks and neck where her bruise was still fading. Her clothes were ripped and her lab coat was no longer white but instead a ghastly grey with tears in the sleeves and at the hem. Her eyes appeared lifeless as she gazed at herself with pursed lips, feeling oddly detached from her reflection as if she was staring at someone completely new. Thinking back on the day, she felt sort of like a layer of herself had been stripped away and she was seeing the finished product. It made her feel uneasy and raw and she had to look away.

She steadily removed each article of clothing until she stood naked in the middle of the room. She didn't look at herself in the mirror, afraid that if she did she'd see a skeletal figure that looked nothing like her. It sounded absurd because it's not like she hadn't eaten in 24 hours (even though it was close) but she felt like she was wasting away even though she had very little appetite. Maybe that was just a side effect of the missing layer.

She took her time showering, allowing the stream of warm water to flow down her body and ease the tension from her taut muscles and sore joints. She tilted her head forward and let the water run until the puddle beneath her feet was no longer black. She carefully washed her cuts first, wincing as the bubbles stung them, before lathering her body and hair. It took at least five minutes before she was able to successfully run her fingers through her hair without the tangles hindering them.

When she finally stepped out she felt refreshed but more tired. The steam had done little to help her soaking clothes so she finally hung up the lab coat and then started drying her shirt, pants and undergarments with the hairdryer. Heeding Frost's advice she only spent about fifteen minutes on them which hadn't made much progress but at least it alleviated a bit of the smell as they were no longer dripping. It still felt uncomfortable pulling them back on, the material rough and stiff against her skin now that she was clean but she soldiered through because she had no other choice.

She spent longer than necessary combing her fingers through her hair, dragging out her time in solitude while she still could. She was relieved to see that her reflection had improved a bit now that she wasn't covered in filth and dried blood with the color slowly returning to her face but her eyes had yet to regain their vibrancy.

After spending at least forty minutes in the bathroom she finally opened the door and let the room air out. The harsh chill of the bedroom made her spine quiver and she stepped out slowly, her bare feet padding against the stiff carpet. Frost was nowhere to be seen and Mister J was in the exact same spot she left him except this time his shirt was removed and he had slouched further in the seat.

He didn't acknowledge her and Penny wasn't going to give him a reason to. She sat gracefully on the edge of the bed furthest from him and ogled the room some more. The walls were a dark beige with crown molding and red-brown carpet. It seemed slightly outdated and the air was a bit stale but at least the room was clean. Penny's brows furrowed when she spotted two suitcases tucked away in the half-open closet near the door but she wasn't about to comment on them. She wondered where they came from and why they were needed.

"Your arm," came Mister J's gravelly voice. Penny started at the sound, jolting a bit on the bed. She turned to face him almost accusingly only to see that he was still facing away from her.

"My… arm?" she repeated softly, confused.

"It's hurt, isn't it?" he asked, blasé as ever like they were discussing the weather.

She glanced down at her left arm, spotting the red cuts that contrasted with her skin under the orange glow of the lamp. There were a few slash marks across her bicep and down below her elbow, some of which were glistening with raw, irritated skin and others that were bruising up.

"It's fine," she lightly dismissed him. "I washed it off in the shower."

"We have antiseptic. Came with the room. First aid kit or whatever," he informed her. Penny frowned. "Don't want 'em to get infected, do you?"

She didn't answer right away. "No, I suppose not."

Mister J sighed, the noise sounding like a low growl in the back of his throat, before he pushed himself off the chair. His green hair was hanging down in his eyes, a sight Penny couldn't bring herself to get used to when it was usually so pristine, and he motioned vaguely to the bed closest to him.

"Sit," he said. Penny recognized it was a command, not a suggestion, and she cautiously moved towards the spot he pointed to.

"You don't have to—"

"You're our _guest_ , Pennywise," Mister J countered as if she should've known the rules, retrieving a classic white box with a red cross on the front from the desk next to the TV.

He made a twirling motion with his finger and she turned until her arm was facing him. Rather than bending down next to her or even sitting beside her like she expected, he climbed onto the bed behind her until she felt one of his bony knees dig into her lower back. Her spine went rigid as she suddenly became aware of his body heat behind her, feeling the pinpricks on her neck where his eyes ghosted over her skin. She heard him pop the box open and he fiddled with the contents of it for a few seconds. Penny had a startling moment of terror where she feared there was a syringe tucked away filled with poison that he'd been waiting to use on her, but upon glancing out of her peripherals she only saw the usual gauze, antiseptic bottle, alcohol, gloves and bandaids. She tried to make her sigh of relief unnoticeable.

The first dab of alcohol was cold and painful and she sucked in a deep breath, naturally flinching away from the feeling until it was no longer overwhelming. Mister J didn't give her time to adjust, instead following her movements as he dabbed at each of the cuts. She felt his breath fan her shoulder and she looked away, the hairs on her arms standing on end as she let him tend to her wounds. It was a painstaking five minutes of complete silence that had Penny wondering where the hell Frost had run off to until Mister J shuffled on the bed. He applied the antiseptic after cleaning the cuts which also felt unpleasant but she dutifully remained quiet until he was done.

"There," he announced, tone softer than before. "No infections for Pennywise."

She eyed the scars that looked redder than usual around the edges but nevertheless clean.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Mister J pushed the first aid kit aside and rested his hands on his knees as he looked down at her. Penny felt itchy under her skin until he spoke up.

"Are you scared?"

Penny licked her lips and tried to not let the affect he had on her show. She looked at him over her shoulder.

"Why do you always ask me that?"

"Because," he said, blood red lips puckering around the words. "Your eyes aren't dilated anymore when you're around me. Sometimes I can't tell."

"You like when I'm scared of you," she concluded, not that she hadn't already known. "Why?"

Mister J leaned in close, his eyelashes fluttering, and she had to bite her tongue not to pull away. His skin was translucent and alive, pores smooth yet the surface scarred, and his blue eyes penetrated hers until she felt the look shake her core.

"Well," he breathed, shoulders sagging with the release of air. "If someone was ever scared of you, you'd understand."

Penny wrinkled her nose. "Doesn't seem like it'd be a good feeling to me."

"I think you'd disagree."

"You think you know a lot of things about me," Penny pointed out bravely. "They're not always true."

"Aren't they?" Mister J tilted his head, closing the space between them until their noses were nearly touching. Every time she exhaled he would inhale and it was like they were sharing breath. Surprisingly she didn't recoil, accepting their close proximity. "I know you're nice. _Sweet_. You got a hero complex the size of fuckin' Manhattan," he rolled his eyes like the fact exasperated him. "You think you're such a good person because you are. You've never done anything bad. You don't know what bad feels like."

"And you think I'd like it," Penny hedged skeptically.

"Everyone always does," Mister J licked his silver teeth. "All it takes is a little taste. Then you keep wanting more. More and more until it's not enough."

"I don't think it's that easy," Penny shifted uncomfortably. Her thoughts immediately shifted to Batman of all people, a subject she was sure he would not approve of. "Good people do bad things all the time. It doesn't make them bad people."

"It's easier than you think," Mister J crooked his head the other way, a light grin on his lips looking like the cat that caught the canary. "Everyone's got a little evil in 'em, dollface, they just don't know how to get to it. Sometimes it takes a while to build up but at some point they're gonna break. And they're gonna _love_ it."

"You think I'm one of those people," Penny's mouth twisted downward.

Mister J considered her for a second.

"Maybe not," he conceded. "Maybe you'd deny it for a while. You seem like a denial kind of person. You'd cover up all the bad shit with the good shit and pretend until you weren't you anymore. Which," his head bounced, "would probably make things worse in the end. See, there's the bad people who do bad things and own up to them," he lifted a bejeweled hand. "And then there's the bad people who do bad things but act all 'holier-than-thou'," he lifted the other, quirking a nonexistent eyebrow. "They're all going to hell but only half of 'em are gonna enjoy the ride."

"You're okay with that," Penny stated in a questioning tone as if she wasn't quite sure. "Going to hell."

"I did say I'd shake the Devil's hand, didn't I?" he rolled his shoulder. "If you believe that stuff. I'm just here to have a good time. Draw a little blood and raise a little hell," he smirked. "Paint the town red."

"Sounds like you're accomplishing that just fine," Penny murmured, playing with a loose thread dangling from the comforter's seam beneath her hand. When Mister J didn't immediately respond she glanced carefully up at him to see him gazing somewhere past her with a faraway look in his eye, pupils cloudy.

"It's not easy going it alone sometimes," he admitted, voice floating delicately through the air. Penny raised her eyebrows, too shocked to react any other way. "You know what it's like having someone willing to die for you? It's like… they'll die with you or die for you. Just like that. It's like… feeding off their life force. They exist for you," Penny was watching him closely, studying his profile and the way his pupils grew and shrank with each passing word. Her heart was thrumming heavily and she kept her mouth shut, knowing he wasn't expecting her to reply. "I'd kill for her," he said, blue eyes flashing dangerously to hers. That look pierced the air around them, making her skin feel electric. His eyes were wide and unhinged as he leaned on his arms towards her. Like he was spilling some delicious secret he didn't want anyone but her to know. "I'd kill anyone for her, rip them apart… there's no limit, no rules… but I wouldn't die for her. If I died for her then it'd all be for nothing. It's not part of the plan. _She_ wasn't part of the plan."

Penny could sense he was rambling at this point, word vomit spilling recklessly from his blood red lips, so unlike him. She wondered if he actually wanted to be telling her this, if she was allowed to know, if he didn't realize this part of his brain was on and publicizing these things to her. Things he may have killed her for knowing. But she also wondered if he wanted her to know. Or maybe not her specifically, but someone. Even if it didn't make any sense to her. Even if his confession was jarring and so far in the realm of things she did not and would never understand.

"Promise not to tell anyone?" he asked, voice high-pitched and childish. "It's a secret, Pennywise. Shhh."

His head fell to the side, eyes still wide, and a vice of fear gripped her heart at the thought that the rational part of his brain was clicking off, that she'd lost him for good.

"I'd kill for her," he repeated. "But I wouldn't die for her."

His words hung heavy in the air and Penny had no idea what to say until he tilted his head.

"Do you get it now?"

It felt like cotton had been stuffed in her mouth and she licked her lips, watching him closely. He was giving her a look like she was suddenly supposed to understand. In his mind, all the puzzles pieces had come together, everything he said made rational sense, but to her everything was still jumbled. She went over everything he told her, trying to ignore the way his jaw grinded, how he leaned closer to her, how his warm breath was hitting her shoulder. Goosebumps rose on the back of her neck and she had to look away, her mind still swarming.

"The chopper," she breathed suddenly. She turned her gaze back to his, his cold blue eyes shocking her nervous system. They looked like ice. "It could've killed you," and it was like everything was clear. "Do you… you don't want to go after her?"

Mister J held his gaze against her until suddenly his shoulders slumped, eyes rolling.

"No," he disagreed, voice gravely, his upper lip curled as if he were disappointed in her. "I do. I will."

"Then…" Penny's brows pulled together and she shook her head, confused. "What were you…?" she straightened her spine as he pulled away and she steadied him with an even stare. "What did you mean before? Why would you say that?"

"You're asking a lot of questions," he groused. His face was hard again, his jaws clenched and muscles tense. The glint in his eyes, the way he held himself, it was all different.

"I'm just trying to figure you out," she admitted.

"How much time you got?" he challenged.

Penny could only blink, too thrown (and a little shook) by what just happened that she almost completely missed the buzz that echoed in the room before the hotel door opened. Frost closed the door behind him, tossing a bag of something heavy on the bed before pausing at their close proximity. He looked like he wanted to make a comment about interrupting something but thought better of it, instead shrugging his jacket off. A jacket Penny knew he didn't have before.

"The boys got some snacks," he said, voice surprisingly calm for how thick the tension palpated the room. "Brought some back in case you're hungry."

It was a physical effort for Penny to pull her eyes away from Mister J's and when she did her eyes were burning from how dry they felt. She cleared her throat.

"Um… boys?"

"Charlie and them," said Frost, emptying the contents of the plastic bag. A few candy bars, a bag of chips and a couple slim jims tumbled out. "They're rooming down the hall. Caught up with them not long after you left."

 _After I left,_ she thought sardonically.

"You hungry, boss?"

Mister J still hadn't taken his eyes away from her. "No."

Even after he finally pulled away and returned to his chair, first aid kit still open and disorganized, Penny could still feel the way his eyes pierced hers. She breathed a tired sigh as Frost ripped open one of the wrappers and flopped down onto his bed. Talks with him were so exhausting.

That night, or rather that morning, Penny slept in Mister J's bed. She laid down on her side, hands pulled under her head on the pillow as she watched his silhouette by the window. The moonlight cast a chilling luminescence over his form, igniting him like a star. He was gazing out the curtains, head slanted forward as he slouched down into the chair. Every now and then she'd hear the rudders of a helicopter outside, probably some news chopper surveying the crash site a few blocks away. Penny couldn't help but wonder how Mister J was able to stay awake. The skin under his eyes was discolored like purple bruises from lack of rest and even though he wasn't completely sane, he was still human. And humans couldn't run on empty.

In her dream-addled state, she imagined his fall into the chemical vat. She wondered how much the chemicals actually changed him biologically. They couldn't have just altered his physical appearance. Had he always been so unhinged? Did the chemicals change him, make his brain go wonky, or was it like that before the fall? She didn't know the full story. If the chemicals affected him as much as everyone claimed they did, it wouldn't be so farfetched to believe that the chemicals messed with his appetite, his sleep, his adrenaline, or any number of things.

She woke up however many hours later to a pounding on the hotel door. She felt drowsy and lightheaded, wincing as the pain behind her temples throbbed with every knock. She blinked a few times until her eyesight was no longer blurry and she spotted Mister J lurking near the foot of her bed with his back turned, head facing the door with an unreadable look on his face.

" _You guys gotta be outta here!_ " a man shouted from the other side, relentlessly slamming his fist against the door. " _Your check-out time was two hours ago and we gotta clean the room!_ "

Penny was still half-asleep so her mind was only working at half speed but something about what the man said felt off. Unfortunately her brain didn't have the capacity yet to try and figure it out.

Despite the fact that she wanted another five hours of sleep, she was grateful to kick the scratchy sheets off her body. If they had to leave she wasn't going to complain. She was really beginning to feel the strains of homesickness, not to mention the room was starting to rack up quite the smell. She assumed it was partially to do with their dirty, water-ridden clothes that reeked of mildew. But there was also something sour on the air, like spoiled milk or curdling cheese. It left a bitter taste in her mouth and she tried washing it away with a candy bar and some water from the bathroom sink as Frost skirted around the room.

Mister J threw on his white shirt, teeth gritting as the man continued to pound on the door and rattle the handle.

"Are they ready yet?" he snapped at Frost who was skimming the room from ceiling to floor.

Penny saw Frost pull something out of his pants pocket and narrowed her eyes at a black device she was certain he didn't have the night before.

"Where did you get that?" she asked, bitterly reminded of her phone that perished in the crash.

Frost barely spared her a glance as he checked the phone.

"Almost," he replied. His eyes then flitted to Penny and he moved past her into the bathroom. "Went out this morning," he answered her.

"Are we going home?" Penny asked, trying to keep up with Frost's quick movements.

"Home sweet home," Mister J sang lightly.

"So that's the plan then?" she continued, hoping to get some clarification. Her mind was getting to that stage of awareness after the cloudiness of sleep wears off and there was panic there for some reason.

"Little bird ready to fly again?" Mister J asked her, buckling his belt. She flushed and looked away. He didn't say anything else.

Penny tried getting out of their way by standing near the door, arms crossed tightly over her chest.

" _I'm getting a spare room key,_ " the man threatened. He must've been the hotel manager. " _I'll call the cops if you guys think you can hole yourselves up in there._ "

"Do they know who you are?" Penny asked, feeling like it was something she should've asked a long time ago. No one answered her and her stomach flipped, heart racing behind her ribcage at the thought of being herded away to prison in handcuffs.

Trying to find something to do, her eyes danced around the area and something caught her attention down by the closet door. Underneath the closed half of the door was black cloth trapped in the track. Her eyebrows pulled together delicately and she curiously stepped forward, reaching across to pull the door open. She sincerely wished she hadn't. But now she knew where the suitcases came from.

The smell that'd just been a light coat on the air hit her at full force, sending something vile gurgling in the pit of her stomach and her eyes widened, hand flying up to her mouth at the gory sight of two bloodied, lifeless bodies crammed into the closet, one man and one woman. Their eyes were open in silent terror, their horrifying last look at reality being that of a man with green hair and a blood red smile, their faces ashen and mouths hanging open. A scream naturally tore up her throat but before she could release it a cold hand clamped tightly over her mouth, an equally cool body pressing against her from behind.

"Now, now, Pennywise," Mister J purred in her ear, chin brushing her shoulder as he stared down at the bodies. The band of his rings pressed against her lips and she made a strangled sound in the back of her throat, looking away from the bodies before she got sick. "Hush, doll, it'll all be over soon."

" _I'm counting to five!_ " the man threatened again. A pair of footsteps were heard approaching the door and she heard the man mumble a 'thanks' to whomever reached him. " _One…_ "

Mister J forcefully dragged her away from the door, keeping one arm wrapped around her middle while the other continued to cover her mouth.

" _Two…_ "

She gripped onto his forearm for support, panting into his palm as she trembled beneath his touch. He was so close to her, every inch of his front covering her back. She could feel the sculpt of his muscles, the vague scent of smoke on his collar mixed with the stench of death.

" _Three…_ "

It was too overwhelming and Penny feared she was going to pass out. Mister J's ragged breath fanned against her ear, sounding something like a lowly growling animal. She felt the vibrations in his chest against her back and a chill raced down her spine.

" _Four…_ "

A spike in her heart. Penny's eyes widened as Frost bounded in front of them, clutching something tightly in his right hand. He tossed a brief look over his shoulder at Mister J who Penny felt nod against her cheek. With that, Frost unlocked the door before flinging it open, revealing a balding man about a foot shorter than Frost dressed in a sweater vest, lips curving around his next unspoken word.

"Five," Frost finished for him before wrapping a fist around his collar.

He pulled him into the room and the second he was out of sight he drove something silver into the man's neck, cutting off his oxygen supply. Penny made a shrieking sound that was muffled by Mister J's hand, thrashing a bit in his grip. He dug his nails into her cheek and she steadied her movements, eyes as wide as dinner plates as the man gurgled on his own saliva and blood that pooled in his mouth. She saw red seep through his lips and her stomach churned. She slumped back, going pliant in Mister J's arms as tears warped her vision. He supported the extra weight, holding her tightly against him as he watched with deep, calm breaths as the man stumbled to the floor, gasping and choking.

Frost dragged someone else into the room and tossed their unmoving body on top of the man's. Penny was shocked as she hadn't even seen him leave the room but this must've been the person who handed the man the key card.

She felt Mister J's lips brush against the shell of her ear and her heartbeat quickened.

"You're gonna stay quiet for me, right dollface?" he breathed. "No screaming."

Penny was trembling so hard she could barely keep her footing but she managed a slight nod beneath his hand and she felt his lips stretch into a smile.

"Good girl."

He released her and she took in a strangled breath through her lips, chest shuddering as she tried to avoid looking at the mass of bodies disposed in the room. Something gripped her wrist and before she knew what was happening, she was tripping over stray limbs as Mister J dragged her out of the room behind him with Frost in tow. Her cheeks were wet as she hurried to keep up, using Mister J as an anchor to keep her going, knowing that if he were to let go she would just fall to the floor. His grip held steady as they weaved down the hall, Penny glancing over her shoulder every few seconds afraid that they were being followed.

Frost was holding onto some sort of lanyard and once they reached the end of the hall she realized he swiped the man's badge that gave them access to the stairwell. Mister J lifted his free hand and there was a short burst of air followed by the sound of the camera shattering above the door. His gun had a suppressor. Frost swiped the card and the door gave way with a dull beep. They flew through the threshold and took the stairs two at a time, Penny almost tripping more than once. She was holding up Mister J and she could tell he was annoyed by it but there was no time for him to comment on her clumsiness.

They hustled down twelve grueling flights of stairs with all levels of the building baring two sets of stairs each. Their shoes slammed against the steps, echoing painfully off the walls like a herd of elephants charging an empty room. When they finally reached the bottom Penny was gasping for air, perspiration coating her hairline as her lungs burned from the strain. Her feet felt strangely numb from the harsh stomping and she rammed into Mister J's back when he came to a stop beside Frost at the back entrance of the hotel. She heard another silent _fftt_ as Mister J took out a second camera.

Frost was scanning the area, eyes alert and shoulders tense. Penny held onto Mister J from behind as she tried to catch her breath and for the moment he let her. She pressed her forehead into his shoulder blade, gripping the sides of his wrinkled dress shirt in her fists as she tried coaxing her breathing back to normal. Because she was so close, she felt the second his muscles tensed and she looked up over his shoulder through bleary eyes at a grey SUV that squealed its tires against the curb where it stopped a few feet away from the door in the alleyway behind the building.

Penny could barely spot the wave of an arm through the tinted windows and Frost fully pulled the door open, jogging towards the vehicle with his own weapon concealed but at the ready. Mister J ripped her hand away from his shirt to tug her along behind him and Frost opened the back door, letting them jump inside first before he climbed in after. The car was on the move before he even got the door shut.

This SUV was a bit smaller than the ones Penny was used to, leaving her trapped between Mister J and Frost as the car barreled out into traffic on the other side of the block. Panda and Batsy were taking up the front two seats, though Charlie seemed to be missing. Penny didn't have the mental capacity to think much of anything, instead leaning against Mister J as her chest continued to heave and her hands trembled in her lap. Mister J exchanged a few words with Panda who was behind the wheel and seemed to know where he was going.

"What…" Penny cleared her throat and licked her lips. "What happens when they find the bodies? Our fingerprints are all over that room," she said with a heavy ball settling in the pit of her stomach. She felt eyes on the side of her face and turned to see Frost giving her a pointed look. Her mind flashed back to him racing all over the room. In her half-asleep state she hadn't realized what he was doing. "Oh. You wiped the room, didn't you?"

"As much as I could," he agreed before turning to glance out the window. They were pulling onto the highway.

"So they won't figure out it was us?" she checked because she felt like she needed some reassurance. Her stomach was still tingling and twisting unpleasantly.

Frost seemed a little exasperated by her questioning but he answered her anyway, "I wouldn't worry about it. If they find anything, it'll be me or J. The most you left behind was hair on your pillow and I took care of it."

"Oh," she said again for lack of anything better. She probably should have said thanks but really, what was she thanking him for?

They drove in silence for the better part of a half hour, maybe forty-five minutes. Time felt slow regardless of how much distance they covered with Panda speeding like a madman between lanes and cutting across traffic. Penny had no desire to speak, her head still swirling with the events of the past twenty-four hours, and no one else tried making conversation. Mister J was stiff against her left side and she tried to ignore the burning feeling of his cold hand that still lingered over her mouth.

It was about as light as it was going to get outside, the sky still overcast, when they pulled down a road leading to a familiar sight. It was the compound from earlier where they intercepted the chopper. Off in the distance Penny could still see the outline of the jet they flew from New Jersey and it felt like a small weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She was a bit surprised the site wasn't flooded with government officials and military personnel from the crash site, knowing that they must've figured out where the chopper originated from by now. They probably only had minutes, maybe an hour tops before the base was swarmed with investigators.

The SUV pulled haphazardly towards an empty parking lot with a chain-link fence. Panda Man parked the car and all four doors were tossed open. Penny slid out of the SUV behind Frost and followed along behind him as he made his way towards the jet. From there she could hear the engine roaring to life and she was momentarily confused before Charlie emerged from the open door near the cockpit, waiting. It wasn't hard for the four of them to hop inside with his help, the door sealed behind them.

Before everyone was seated the jet began to move and Penny's stomach felt uneasy again. She quickly threw herself onto one of the chairs, wondering who was piloting the jet. She couldn't remember what happened to their last pilot; if he managed to stick around and wait for them or got killed sometime before they left the compound. Either way there was someone back there and they were making their way towards the track where they began to taxi down the runway. In seconds they were in the air, Penny's heart lodged in her throat from the altitude.

"What happens now?" she asked, voice unsteady.

"We come up with a new plan," Frost answered her.

Penny ran her fingers through her hair, the pulsating behind her eyes only getting worse. She needed a real meal and real night's sleep. Her mind kind of felt overworked, like a steamroller without enough steam. It made her eyes sore and she forced herself up from the chair, feet unsteady from the feeling of flight. She made her way towards the jet's tiny bathroom in an uneven line, pulling the door open so she could splash some water on her face. Her eyes were bloodshot when she pulled away from the small sink, her skin unusually pale. She kind of felt like she had a fever. Maybe she caught a cold from sleeping outside the night before.

The light from the window across from the bathroom was blocked and Penny glanced to her right, spotting Mister J leaning against the small doorway with his arm propped against the door. His green hair fell down into his face, the cut along his temple red and angry. He gazed at her closely, jaw locked, and she swallowed before looking away.

"Do we know what the plan is yet?"

"Take you home of course," Mister J inclined his head with a sarcastic lilt to his tone. She could feel his body heat even from where she stood and she shied away from it.

"And Harley?" Penny's eyes flashed back to his.

Mister J's lip twitched. "They're probably skirtin' her back to Belle Reve as we speak."

"So you'll get her from there," Penny stated rather than asked.

"Maybe," he conceded. "We'll lay low for a while until the heat's off."

Penny hummed, running water over her hands beneath the faucet. It was impossible to ignore the way his intense gaze felt on the side of her head but she tried her best to, cleaning the dirt out from under her fingernails.

"So you're just gonna go back to normal?" Mister J spoke up, voice crackling from the low tenor. Penny frowned at him, not quite understanding the question. "Back to your sweet little office girl life," he clarified. "The good ole nine to five."

"I guess so," Penny said carefully, unsure of why he felt the need to ask. "I mean, I need the money to pay for my apartment, for my food…" she trailed off. She turned the faucet off and left her fingers dripping in the sink. Mister J flashed his silver teeth as they pulled at his bottom lip, dropping his arm to where his shoulder leaned against the doorframe instead.

"Doesn't it ever get boring?" he asked. "Leading a meaningless life. They claim it's self-fulfilling but I see nothing fulfilling about trapping yourself under a chain of command that doesn't give two shits about you or the crap you do."

Penny leaned back against the wall behind her. It was only about six inches away, her kneecaps pressing beneath the sink in front of her. She looked up at Mister J, her lips turning downward. His blue eyes were piercing hers and despite his hard exterior, it seemed like he was genuinely curious. Like the mundane task of working a normal job went over his head. She figured it probably did. She gave a light shrug and picked at her clean nails.

"I guess so but it's not like you have a choice," she murmured. "Money is money."

"It's worthless," he countered. "Pieces of paper you use to make a false profit. None of the shit you do or get is actually for you. It's all a scam, some scheme set up by the big boys who get every little thing they want because they get to herd around mindless cattle like you to wipe their ass."

Penny looked away again, not sure what she did to warrant the third degree or the insults on her way of life.

"At least I have control over it," she countered thickly. Mister J's eyes ignited at her tone but aside from that he didn't move. "That's all people ever want. Control. Knowing they have the right to choose their own destiny. Be successful."

"And working inside a cubical every day for the rest of your life is success? _Destiny?_ " Mister J's face contorted in thinly veiled disgust. "That's bullshit, sweetheart. You don't got control over shit. Any day they could be done with you or anyone like you. You don't matter. It's all pointless."

"Some days are better than others," Penny stressed, turning to face him fully. He stood a bit taller at this, squaring his shoulders as if taking her move as a challenge. "Some of us do make it big because we work hard and people recognize us for that. The world isn't as bleak as you make it out to be."

Mister J took a step forward, his strong frame barely able to pass through the threshold of the door. Penny backed up a foot until her calves hit the toilet bowl. Mister J's nostrils were flared as he gazed sharply down at her, his milky white collarbone only a few inches from her nose. She had to tilt her head back to look up at him and though she was intimidated and a little wary of what he might do, she wasn't quite as afraid as she used to be. After the hell she went through the past two days, she found herself desensitized to a lot of the things that set her over the edge before.

"You know," he remarked lowly, reaching his arms forward to brace them against the wall on either side of her shoulders, caging her in. His warm breath fanned her cheeks as his silver teeth flashed under the white light. "They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results."

He leaned in closer and Penny's breath hitched, heart fluttering as his lips rested inches away from her own.

"I choose my own fate, dollface. I live it up, raise hell and make my own mark. I wanna see the world crumble to its knees and know I played a part in it. I don't forgive and I don't forget. _That's_ destiny," he licked his lip and crooked his head, smirking lightly and she watched the movement with heavy-lidded eyes, breathing quick. "People think I'm crazy when really they're the ones that need to take a good look in the mirror."

His lips caressed her cheek all the way across to her ear, words slipping through in a breathy, rugged whisper.

"Think about that, Pennywise."

* * *

 **I know it's been exactly a month but in my defense I got a cold and was sick for about a week and a half so it slowed me down quite a bit. So wow, we've finally surpassed 200 follows! That's so amazing, I can't believe this story's gotten so much feedback. I get so excited reading your guys' comments and seeing how the story's progressing through your eyes. Even though I may take a while to update sometimes, I'm still so happy you all are sticking with me.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it. We got some deep conversations going between Penny and Joker, both of which are super important. How do you guys feel about what he said about Harley? I felt a bit like I was jumping the shark with that one but that doesn't mean I think it's any less true, nor does it take away what he and Harley have. It was interesting, huh? Heh.**

 **Special thanks to Lilly's mommy, ****lilhobbit , GreenHoneyTea, Guest x4, Fallen1019, Awkward-Erin, Angrypancakegoddess, Fire and Ash, Giulia S, inperfection, Love Fiction 2016, thexsharpestlives and UrbanDoll for reviewing! Also I wanted to thank you guys for all your support on my financial issues. I'm going to be making some changes in the next few months that will hopefully be a big help to that so if my updates are slow then that's probably why. Until next time!**


	12. When the Levee Breaks

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the DC Universe nor any recognizable storylines from _Suicide Squad_. I only own my character(s) and the plot of this story. This is rated T for language, possible gore and violence, and mature scenes.**

* * *

 **WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: Slight gore and adult content. Nothing too graphic I don't think? But still. Just in case.**

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 **12\. WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS**

 _There was a flash of silver and blue. She felt something cold but smooth cover her mouth and she looked down, spotting a pale hand with a smiling red mouth and wild teeth painted onto the back plastered over the bottom half of her face. With the position, it looked like the smirking mouth belonged to her and her eyes widened. She looked back up and immediately met the familiar blue eyes crinkled at the sides from his laughter. Silver teeth stung her eyes and he leaned in close, pressing his lips against the back of his hand that held her mouth shut, their noses touching. His manic laughter rang in her ears before she felt something sharp pierce her stomach and she jolted—_

—upright in bed with a gasp, hands immediately flying to her stomach to pressurize the wound and block the flow of blood. Her hands twisted in her t-shirt, feeling nothing but fabric and she panted as her shoulders slumped. Perspiration coated her forehead, dripping down her temples and making the skin feel itchy. She ran her fingers through her hair tiredly, the only sound in the room being the quick gasps through her lips and the thrum of her own heart pulsating in her ears.

The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end and, still feeling a bit wired from the dream, her spine stiffened and she glanced up into the darkness. Where she expected to see nothing but black, she could've sworn she spotted a silhouette in her doorway and with a shriek she leapt across her bed to her nightstand and turned her lamp on.

When she whipped her head back around, she saw nothing but air. Her heart felt painful as it hammered behind her ribcage and her eyes fell shut. She buried her head in her hands, waiting for the fog to clear in her head from the nightmare.

This had been happening the past few nights. She woke up consistently, usually two to three times a night between the hours of midnight and four, all with the same vivid dream. Sometimes it was shorter than the one she just had—just a flash of silver teeth and blue eyes before her eyes flew open. Other times it was longer. It went so far once that she saw her own entrails spilling out onto the floor, a shocking emptiness filling her gut that was no longer there, before she was sobbing awake with an unpleasant churn in her stomach. Occasionally she'd hear the whip of a helicopter rudder in the distance and sometimes she'd even wake up with the scent of fire in her nose and the taste of burning oil on her tongue.

After the first night it happened she tried taking Nyquil before bed in hopes it'd help her sleep. It succeeded, only it made her dreams more detailed and she woke the next morning feeling like she hadn't slept at all. She didn't take it again but she did try natural herbs like St. John's Wort. According to the bottle the pills came in, it was supposed to ease anxiety and help you relax. The first night she was on it,it seemed to help as she only got the flash of silver and blue in her dream, but the following night the dream continued on as gory and terrifying as ever. She had a feeling that first night on the herb was just a placebo effect; she'd convinced herself enough that it'd work so it did. Unfortunately her brain wasn't getting tricked into it a second time, so she had to take herself off of it too.

Penny's mind felt stretched like a rubber band being spread beyond its elasticity. Her eyes were sore from losing so much sleep and upon checking the clock, she realized she still had an hour before she needed to get up for work. She fell back against her pillows in an exhausted heap, staring up at the ceiling with burning eyes.

She'd hoped that coming back would make everything better. She thought that once she was back inside her bubble everything would go back to normal. It was anything but. The past week alone had been one of the worst of her life and it wasn't just because of the nightmares.

When she first got to her apartment she realized she no longer had the key to it so she had to contact the building manager to request a new one. She spent three hours waiting outside her door for it to arrive. During that time she also realized that since her apartment key was missing so would the key to her car, so she had to hunt down the dealership she bought it from years ago via one of the communal computers in her apartment building's rec room in hopes they could point her in the right direction of where to order a new one. She had to call using one of their payphones (she couldn't believe payphones were still around—how outdated was her building?) and she had to borrow change for the payphone from one of the front office staff.

She had to cancel and re-order all of her credit and debit cards and she was still waiting for a new license to come in the mail which meant she couldn't drive. She wasn't going to be able to buy a new cell phone until her credit cards came in because she would have to order one online. Her rent and electricity was late and she didn't have the money to pay for them because she wasn't around to pick up her paycheck from work. By that time it was too late to pick it up which meant it was somewhere in the mail and probably wouldn't reach her for another day or two which meant she'd be charged late fees. The food in her fridge was spoiled so she had to toss everything, leaving her with nothing but a can of peanuts, bottled water and some stale fruit loops.

She wondered if this was what people who were coming out of hiding felt like. You know, those people who were on the run for years and kept their identity hidden until their name was out of the heat. The movies always showed what it was like to go off the grid but they never showed what it was like to get yourself back on the grid. During those almost-two days she was gone it felt like she hadn't even existed. She was pulled out of reality and thrown into a chaos that made her forget what things like paying her rent and buying food felt like. And she'd only been gone 36 hours.

Work was becoming a chore too. Not only did she have to walk to work every day, her boss threw a fit because she didn't show up the day after she left early and apparently when he tried calling her, her phone went straight to voicemail. She knew it was because her phone had been blown to bits in a chopper crash but he certainly didn't know that. The only way she was able to talk him out of putting her on probation was because she used the excuse that a family member had died unsuspectingly. She liked to think her excuse was solid considering she'd seen plenty of death the past few days. Thankfully he didn't bother to ask who but he took the bait, probably because his mother-in-law had recently passed away so he was feeling sympathetic.

What really annoyed her were her co-workers, though. Ever since returning to work they were giving her odd looks in passing like she'd suddenly sprouted a second head. She liked to think it was because they found out about her family member "dying" and were worried about her but she wasn't sure that was the entire reason. Even Mark seemed to be avoiding her. Or, as well as he could manage, anyway. He still had the habit of showing up out of the blue with his incessant babbling.

Penny was sitting at her desk that Friday trying her best to focus on her work. Being there was an all too fresh reminder of what happened to Dr. Van Chris and even through her haze she still felt the guilt of his death weighing heavy on her conscience. The company had yet to make an official statement regarding his death but she heard word spreading of a missing person's case and the shoot-up of his lab was all over the news. Even the chopper crash in Illinois had made it to Gotham City's morning news report. She figured they hadn't identified his remains in the debris yet since the evidence now belonged to homeland security. She'd give them until next week.

As she clicked absently on a few tabs in her program, a shadow appeared over her monitor and she jolted hard in her seat.

"Whoa, hey," Mark chuckled weakly, holding his hands up in surrender. "It's just me."

That was another thing. She was incredibly jumpy lately to the point of a trembling Chihuahua whenever something took her by surprise. It made her clench her eyes shut and grit her teeth as she willed her heart to stop racing. She always expected to see someone else but they were never there.

Letting out a puff of air Penny gave Mark a wan smile. "Sorry."

"You're all good," he shrugged casually, leaning against the outside of her cube. He rested his elbows on the top of her cube wall and gazed down at her with an unreadable expression. "How are you doing?" he finally asked. She looked up at him.

"What?" she frowned.

"I heard about… you know," he tilted his head with a pointed look. "I just wanted to make sure everything's okay. You seem… distant."

"Oh," Penny blinked, remembering the charade she had to maintain with her boss. "Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, it's been a rough couple days"—understatement—"but I'm alright."

"Sucks, man," he shook his head in sympathy. "When I lost my granddad I was a mess. All the charity casseroles from the neighbors didn't help either," he chuckled and Penny crackled a smile.

"I wouldn't mind a casserole right now," she lamented. "I had to throw away most of the stuff in my fridge because it was expired."

"Been there," Mark nodded. "Seriously, how are we allowed to live on our own?"

Penny quirked her lips. "No idea."

Mark grinned a little before glancing around him to see if anyone was listening in. He then stretched his head into her cube a bit and whispered, "Hey, did you hear about that helicopter crash?"

Penny felt like her nerves were on fire. Her stomach lurched and she tried to not let her anxiety show on her face. Maintaining a straight face she nodded.

"Yeah," she squinted her eyes in false confusion, "it was in Illinois, right?"

"Yeah," Mark whistled lowly. "Wonder what that was about, huh? Crazy stuff. Apparently it has something to do with Waller. Remember that whole tag team she was trying to set up with all those insane inmates?" Penny nodded, trying to appear interested while on the inside she was screaming. "I heard that had something to do with it. It was a total faceoff between them and whoever was in the helicopter."

"I heard it was a military chopper," the man who sat across from Penny added his two-cents upon standing to stretch. "Looked like it from the news report."

Mark squinted. "Totally weird. I thought the military were in on it. I mean, you saw all those guys in uniform prowling around when Waller was here."

"Dunno," the guy shrugged. "Maybe it got out of hand. Doesn't surprise me at all. Those guys are crazy and probably out of control. Giving them a taste of freedom was a huge mistake in my opinion. I bet they turned against her the second they got out. Who's stupid enough to let a bunch of convicted freaks run around with guns and knives? One of them's a damn alligator. Like, what the hell?"

"Crocodile," Penny corrected offhandedly. The two men glanced down at her. Her eyes flashed between them and she shrunk back a bit.

"She's still alive, isn't she?" Mark asked with furrowed brows, returning his attention to the man. "Waller? She made a speech the other day at the White House, I heard. I didn't watch it but I bet it was some half-assed apology about all the damage her shit idea cost Midway City. She'll probably have to fork over all the money for repairs," he grinned.

"It's not like she couldn't afford it," the guy rolled his eyes. Penny's gaze bounced back and forth between the two, feeling oddly disconnected like she was watching them through a television screen. It was strange hearing about something she was directly involved in through someone else's eyes. "Who were all the crazies involved again?"

Mark leaned more towards the guy and lifted a hand to list off on his fingers, "Well, Nick's cousin said that like six or seven inmates were transferred out of Belle Reve. Crocodile guy, some fire guy, Deadkill or Shotkill or something, Harley Quinn and a few others."

"Oh shit," the guy replied intelligently. Penny gave Mark an unimpressed look before inwardly rolling her eyes and returning to her work. Their conversational skills left a lot to be desired. "They're all nuts. I wonder if any of them escaped."

"I don't think so," Mark responded confidently as if he knew everything. "I mean, we'd know about it if they did, right?"

"I don't know, man," the guy sounded skeptical. "If the government makes a mistake they're not gonna be willing to fess up about it. For all we know they're running free and Waller's trying to keep her hunting party under wraps."

"A secret mission for the secret mission," Mark rolled his eyes. "Real fuckin' intelligent. Better lock all your doors just in case," he smirked.

"I don't know, man," the guy repeated except this time his voice was lighter. "Harley Quinn. She's pretty hot. I mean, for a nutcase," Penny started typing loudly on her keyboard, feeling strained, but neither one of them paid her any mind. "I bet she'd be into all kinds of freaky shit."

"That's sick, dude," Mark remarked but he was grinning. "She'd eat you alive."

"Don't try to tell me you wouldn't hit that if you got the chance," the guy defended himself. "You've seen her, man, I'm not the only one!"

"Maybe if we were the last two people on Earth."

The two shared a laugh and Penny's jaw clenched. She pushed her keyboard aside and it slammed into the side of her computer, alerting the two giggling morons to her presence again. She glared up at them and they looked mildly taken aback by her aggression.

"Is all of this just a joke to you?" she snapped, eliciting slack-jawed looks from them at her tone. "Do you think it's funny? They kill people. They're killers. All of them. They've hurt innocent people and you're joking about how hot one of them is? Really? Do you have upstairs brains?" she narrowed her eyes. "What happened the other day in Midway City was serious. What if they hurt a lot of people?"

"Just calm down oka—?"

"I'm not going to calm down," Penny retorted, feeling slightly childish. She made her point and now she was only digging the hole deeper. "I just don't understand how you guys can be so…" she waved her hands around, "blasé about something so serious."

Mark eyed the guy out of his peripherals, raising his eyebrows. "We were just trying to lighten the mood. There's no need to get defensive."

"Yeah," the guy agreed, wording his reply carefully. "It's not like we actually give a shit about any of them. They're whacko. I don't even know why they're keeping them around."

"That's another thing," Penny held up one of her hands, silently fuming. "'Whacko', 'crazy', 'nutcase'… they're mentally ill. There's a difference."

Mark straightened a bit at this, squinting down at her. They'd garnered the attention of most of the people around them and for her part Penny felt mildly chagrinned for causing such a scene but Mark seemed beyond the point of caring.

"Wait a minute," he said, pointing an accusing finger at her. "Why are you defending them? Like you said, they're killers. I hardly think they count as people at this point."

"I'm not defending them," Penny sighed impatiently. "I'm just saying there's a difference," she glanced up at him silently, biting the inside of her lip. Her insides felt like lead and her head was swarming. Her words didn't seem to have any impact on Mark at all as he continued to glare down at her suspiciously. "Have you ever thought to consider why they're such good killers?" she asked quietly.

Mark's forehead wrinkled. "No? Why would I? They're murderers. They're insane."

"Not just insane," Penny denied, feeling a pang in her chest. "Smart. How else would they have gotten away with so much? They may be insane but that doesn't mean they lack intelligence. I'd actually wager they have a lot of it. That's why they're so scary. They get inside your head. That's why you should 'give a shit' about them. That's why it's not a joking matter," she told them steadily, feeling her own words hit home. "They've ruined a lot of people's lives."

What she said seemed to finally register to the guy across from her as he considered her closely. "You're worried they've escaped too, haven't you? See, I told you," he reached across her cube to slap Mark in the shoulder.

Mark recoiled from the offending arm, seemingly forgetting about Penny again as he squinted over at the man.

"Oh please, I'm sure they're holed up somewhere with a padlock and chains. They're not going to get any of us," he stressed heavily, glaring between the man and Penny. Penny shook her head and closed out of her applications, fed up with listening to Mark ramble on. "Too bad for you, man. Your moment with your precious Harley will have to wait."

"Oh fuck you man," he laughed, the sound grating on Penny's nerves. She kicked away from her chair once her computer was locked and stomped away without saying another word. She felt their eyes on her back as she stormed off.

"What's her deal?" she heard the guy ask.

"She's probably upset that she's got nothing to do since Dr. Van Chris is MIA."

"No shit, really?"

Penny rolled her eyes and slammed her thumb repeatedly on the down arrow for the elevator in hopes of taking an early lunch.

She didn't come to work to listen about Task Force X and Harley Quinn.

* * *

 _There was a flash of silver and blue. She felt something cold but smooth cover her mouth and she looked down, spotting a pale hand with a smiling red mouth and wild teeth painted onto the back plastered over the bottom half of her face. With the position, it looked like the smirking mouth belonged to her and her eyes widened. She looked back up and immediately met the familiar blue eyes crinkled at the sides from his laughter. Silver teeth stung her eyes and he leaned in close, pressing his lips against the back of his hand that held her mouth shut, their noses touching. His manic laughter rang in her ears before she felt something sharp pierce her stomach and she jolted at the pain, scream muffled into his palm. He clenched his jaw, slicing the knife across her abdomen._

" _This is your fault, Pennywise," he taunted her quietly. His lips were caressing the back of his hand that continued to rest against her mouth. If his hand hadn't been there, they would've been kissing. "All your fault."_

 _She felt the knife dig into her flesh beneath her ribs, slicing and carving. All she could do was scream, her feet rooted to the spot. His grin was wide as he watched her squirm, tears falling down her cheeks._

She gasped awake, her eyes wet as she coughed into the back of her hand, chest wrought with sobs. Her limbs were trembling as she tried regaining sense of her surroundings. She felt eyes on her in every direction and she dove to her nightstand where she flipped her lamp on to chase the feeling away. She buried her head in her knees that she pulled up into her chest, shuddering and crying into the sheets still covering her legs. The violent shudders that wracked her body made her feel nauseous and she panted into her knees, teeth biting into the sheets to try and calm herself down. She gripped the sheets tightly in her fists, pulling her legs further into herself as her head throbbed, her eyes feeling dehydrated and sore.

She rested her temple against the top of her knees and watched the time tick by until her alarm went off an hour later.

Mark made a point of evading her all day at work but it wasn't without weird glances in her direction whenever he thought she wasn't looking. Him and the guy who sat across from her had clearly spoken to the whole floor about what happened and whispers followed Penny around no matter where she went. She'd racked up quite the tally of sleepless hours over the past few days, desensitizing her to most of the ridicule her peers thought they were doing a good job of hiding. She would've gone the rest of the day without issue if it hadn't have been for the note waiting on her keyboard when she got back from her lunch (that she hadn't eaten during).

Penny frowned down at the neat cursive handwriting, peeling the sticky note off her keyboard to read it.

 _Miss Weiss,_

 _Please come see me in my office when you have a chance._

 _Sally M._

Penny blinked owlishly down at the message before sighing heavily. Sally McGregor was their office's counsellor. Well, technically she was a counsellor-slash-HR-rep but they were required to speak to the head of HR upstairs whenever they had a work-related or salary issue so, for the most part, she was a glorified guidance counsellor. And Penny had a feeling she knew exactly why she was being asked to meet.

With a tired huff, Penny made her way to Sally's office. With any luck it'd be a quick and painless meeting and then she could go back to her desk and try not to fall asleep for another three hours until it was time to go home.

Her knuckles brushed swiftly against Sally's half-open door and a feminine voice called her in. Penny stepped inside with a quick half-smile and Sally gave her a warm one in return before gesturing to the chair across from her desk. As Penny dropped into the seat, Sally closed the manila folder she was skimming through and pushed it aside to give Penny her undivided attention.

"Miss Weiss," Sally greeted amicably. "Thank you for taking the time to stop by. I didn't want to make a big deal out of this," she informed her and Penny could barely hold back the urge to roll her eyes. Her tiredness had shortened her temper quite a bit. "So hopefully we can get through this quickly. I just wanted to speak to you about recent developments both in and out of the office. You're not obligated to disclose any information on your private life and I won't pry but when things at home start affecting your professional life here at work, that's when we try to get involved in hopes of resolving any problems before they escalate further," she explained in a generic but civil tone. "Your supervisor informed me that you recently had a death in the family and deaths can be hard to cope with especially if it was someone close to you."

Sally leaned forward a bit, resting her elbows on her desk as she gave Penny an open look as if expecting her to immediately spill all her repressed, dark thoughts. Penny licked her lips and shifted uncomfortably in the hard seat, crossing one leg over the other.

"I wasn't very close with them, no," she disagreed awkwardly. Even with her disposition she felt uneasy lying, especially to someone of such high authority. "I mean, they were family but they lived far away so I didn't see them often."

"I understand," Sally nodded. "Even so it can be hard, especially with those you were never very personable with. It can leave you feeling incomplete and maybe a little regretful, like you wished you'd been able to spend more time with them."

Penny shifted a little. "I guess so, yeah."

Sally considered her for a moment, lips pursing as her green eyes danced over Penny's uncomfortable face.

"Is there anything else that's been going on?" Sally finally asked her. "Your supervisor has noticed a change in behavior the past couple of weeks. I understand you've always been a more reserved person and kept to yourself which there's nothing wrong with that, but lately he's said that you've been more distant. It's gotten to the point where it's affected your work," she added sympathetically. Penny bit the inside of her cheek and looked away. "I'm not here to reprimand you, I just want to let you know that I'm available to talk if you need it. Sometimes it's easier talking to a stranger than it is to people you see every day. Strangers are a bit more objective; less likely to judge you. If that's something you're worried about."

Penny picked at her nails as her hands fidgeted nervously in her lap. Sally seemed to notice this and Penny quickly stopped, weaving her fingers together and resting her clasped hands over her leg.

"I'm fine," she said in a light voice. "I mean, I have the same issues everyone else has. You know, finances and things like that. It gets hard sometimes but," she lifted a shoulder halfheartedly, "I'm getting through it."

It didn't look like Sally believed her but she nodded anyway. "Everyone hits a rough patch every now and then. It's understandable. You live alone?"

"Yeah," Penny bit her lip.

"That makes it even harder," Sally noted. Penny nodded once. Sally sighed with a light smile and leaned back a bit. "I know it can be strange talking to someone about things like this. And it's okay that you don't want to, I don't take offense to it at all. Like I said, I'm not here to force you to talk or judge you in any way. But if I may give you a bit of advice?" she waited for Penny to nod before continuing, "We all have our own problems, some worse than others. Sometimes it's hard going to someone else for help because how can they help if they don't know what you're going through? Sometimes you have to do things on your own. But if it's not too bold for me to say: don't run away from those problems," she told her seriously. "Running away only makes things worse. And maybe you're not actively running from them, maybe you're just avoiding them. But that's just as bad. After a while it'll all start to build up and soon it'll be too big for you to handle. Confront them while you still can. Who knows," she gave a delicate shrug. "You might be better off."

Penny stared at the woman, trying to appear detached and uninterested but unable to hide the way she considered her words. Sally smiled at this, clearly too observant for her own good. It must've been why she was a counsellor.

"Think about it," she suggested easily with a genial smile. She motioned to the door. "You're free to go."

Unsure of how to respond, Penny pushed away from the chair and made her way to the door, her thoughts running at a speed she couldn't quite keep up with.

"And Penny?" she turned at the sound of Sally's voice. "I hope things start looking up for you. Hang in there."

Penny gave the woman a small smile but it was genuine. "Thanks."

She opened the door and made her way back to her desk in silence. She had a lot to think about.

* * *

 _There was a flash of silver and blue. She felt something cold but smooth cover her mouth and she looked down, spotting a pale hand with a smiling red mouth and wild teeth painted onto the back plastered over the bottom half of her face. With the position, it looked like the smirking mouth belonged to her and her eyes widened. She looked back up and immediately met the familiar blue eyes crinkled at the sides from his laughter. Silver teeth stung her eyes and he leaned in close, pressing his lips against the back of his hand that held her mouth shut, their noses touching. His manic laughter rang in her ears before she felt something sharp pierce her stomach and she jolted at the pain, scream muffled into his palm. He clenched his jaw, slicing the knife across her abdomen._

" _This is your fault, Pennywise," he taunted her quietly. His lips were caressing the back of his hand that continued to rest against her mouth. If his hand hadn't been there, they would've been kissing. "All your fault."_

 _She felt the knife dig into her flesh beneath her ribs, slicing and carving. All she could do was scream, her feet rooted to the spot. His grin was wide as he watched her squirm, tears falling down her cheeks. Her eyes rolled up to watch the singular fan above them rotate. With each turn she heard a deep whoosh on the air. It sounded like it was coming from a helicopter. As he dug the knife further into her stomach she saw a river of flames burst from the fan, igniting the ceiling. The smoke clogged her throat and she couldn't breathe, though that could've been him forcing the blade into her lungs. He continued to laugh as the fire spread and in the blink of an eye the ceiling was no longer there, instead replaced with a burning chopper, the blades from the fan now the rudders as they spun wildly, out of control._

" _You can run but you can't hide," his voice was now a whisper in her ear. She felt the warmth of his body crowd the front of her, his stomach pressing against hers and holding her shredded abdomen together. She saw the blood dripping into a puddle between them but she no longer felt the pain. "I'll always find you, Pennywise."_

 _She cried and he shushed her, cradling the back of her head with his free hand. As his fingers stroked her hair, she felt the blade of his knife teasing her side._

" _Shh, shh, Pennywise. It's okay, I got you. I got you."_

 _She cried harder, her sobs echoing now that his hand wasn't covering her face._

" _Shh. I got you. You're not going anywhere."_

 _He laughed again and she felt him lift his arm, bringing the knife down into her hip—_

—and her eyes flew open again, her lungs contracting painfully as she coughed, trying to rid her lungs of the smoke that wasn't there. Her hands immediately flew to her stomach and hip, once again finding nothing but the crumpled fabric of her shirt. Her forehead was wet with sweat as was her back and she tugged uncomfortably at the giant t-shirt she wore to bed before leaning forward to cradle her head in her hands. She gave herself a minute to regain her bearings, hiccupping every few seconds before pulling away to glance at the clock. Four am.

Licking her lips, Penny leaned back against her pillows, gazing up at the ceiling fan much like she had in her dream except this one wasn't moving despite how humid and sticky the air felt in her bedroom. She watched the fan with tired, glossy eyes until the sun rose in the sky about an hour and a half later.

That day she found her new cards had finally come in the mail along with her license and car key. She was able to pay her rent (which cost $60 more than usual) and electric bill ($35 more than usual), leaving her little room for groceries but she needed some sort of food in the house. Even though she could now drive, she didn't feel comfortable behind the wheel with her sleep deprivation so she walked to the nearest Walgreens to buy a few snacks, some frozen dinner meals and other miscellaneous things she needed.

Her head was throbbing throughout her journey and she could only imagine how she looked browsing the aisles with her basket full of junk food in her oversized sweats and hoodie, her hair haphazardly thrown into a messy bun on top of her head. The lack of sleep had created decent-sized bags under her eyes and her skin was a bit pale from exhaustion. She wasn't eating much due to her low appetite which also contributed to her skin's ashen color. She looked like a walking corpse and she felt like one, too.

The walk back to her apartment was spent with her glancing nervously over her shoulder every few seconds, a habit she couldn't manage to shake. The anxious part of her was constantly on the lookout for black, heavily tinted cars. Or shiny purple-pink ones. To her luck she never saw anything out of the ordinary and she took the elevator up to her floor, quickly letting herself into her apartment before locking the deadbolt, handle lock and chain. After putting away her things, she heated up a meal in the microwave before plopping herself down on the couch and turning on the TV.

Immediately an urgent news report flashed across the screen and Penny realized with dread that the channel 5 news was the last station she had the TV on. When she saw the name that was plastered across the scrolling text at the bottom of the screen, she dropped the remote and stared, unblinking, as a news reporter regrettably broadcasted the findings of Dr. Van Chris's charred remains in the chopper incident in Midway City. The woman, who was dressed to the nines in a white pants suit, also informed via a teleprompter that Dr. Van Chris's wife, Mary, was declared missing by a relative two days prior.

The few bites Penny had taken of her meal felt heavy in her stomach and she sat the half-eaten meal on her coffee table, lips turned downward as she watched the news report. She wanted to shut it off and hide away in her room but for some reason she felt obligated to keep it on, like watching it was somehow a deserving punishment for the guilt she felt. An image of Dr. Van Chris's crying wife flashed across her mind, the white-masked man holding a knife to her throat as she begged and pleaded for her life. Penny didn't know for sure but something in her gut told her the woman was dead.

She sat still as she watched the entire news broadcast, face surprisingly blank and eyes unblinking. They mentioned funeral arrangements despite the fact that his family didn't have a body to bury. Penny never really understood that. Closure, she guessed. She didn't really get it.

Once the report was over, she made her way back into her bedroom where she curled up into a ball underneath her sheets, pulling the covers up to her chin.

She couldn't live like this. If it wasn't the nightmares it was the guilt, and if it wasn't the guilt it was the paranoia. She couldn't take it. If she continued on like this she'd break before she hit thirty, if she even made it to thirty. Her mind felt so fragile and it scared the hell out of her. She never thought she'd reach the point where she was scared of her own mind, her own thoughts. The past week made her realize that the shit the Joker put her through had struck her to her core. She didn't know why the realization made her so shaken. Maybe it was because she thought his influence was beyond her, that she couldn't be affected by it.

And it wasn't just him. It was everything—everything she saw, everything she experienced. She saw more than most people twice her age ever did, things that could haunt her and stick with her for the rest of her life. How was she going to cope with that? Was her mind even strong enough to come back from it? She didn't know. Was she supposed to just wait and see? He wasn't done with her yet, that much she knew. What else was there? At this point Penny was convinced she'd seen it all. How could it get any worse?

No. She knew better than to ask that. She knew not to doubt the Joker's capability; knew that, if given the chance, he could ruin her in more ways than he already had. She wondered if that was his goal all along. To see how far he could take her before she toppled over the edge. She felt like she was a coin standing on its side and she didn't know which direction she was going to fall in, only that one side held all the bad things and the other side held slightly less bad things. How was she supposed to sway the coin in a certain direction?

 _Take control,_ she told herself. But how? And was that even an option?

 _Don't run away from those problems,_ Sally had said. _Confront them._

Confront them how?

Penny buried her face in her hands, running her fingers through her hair as she stared at the wall across from her. She'd been thinking too much lately. She was surprised her mind still had room for everything.

Maybe if she sought the Joker out and confronted him face to face… maybe it'd help her. She needed to know what was going to happen next. She couldn't handle the suspense of going day in and day out without a trace of him and then suddenly he'd be there invading her space and pulling her in ten different directions she didn't know how to follow. Maybe if he told her _why_ everything had to happen the way it did, maybe it'd help. Or maybe it'd make things a hell of a lot worse, she didn't know. But she couldn't take this. She couldn't handle the nightmares, the frenzied looks over her shoulders while in public, afraid that at any second she'd be skirted off to the next life or death situation with his maniacal laugh ringing in her ears. Something had to give.

With a determined set in her brow, Penny tossed the covers off herself and headed to her closet for a change of clothes.

She needed a shower.

. . .

She stopped the car about a block away from the club. The curbs were lined on each side the closer she got and she realized she'd have to walk the rest of the way. Putting the car in park near the sidewalk, she sat as it idled with her hands clutching the steering wheel, staring in the direction of the club with uneasiness pooling in her gut.

She didn't know if she had the nerve to go through with it. It'd only been four days but she didn't know if she could face him again so soon. For at least a little while she was out of it. She wasn't obligated to do anything. He wasn't _expecting_ her to do anything. As far as she was concerned he was giving her an out. But there was always that fear lurking beneath the surface of wondering when he'd show up again. She knew he wasn't done with her. He meant what he said about her owing him a debt; there's no way he'd let that go. He may have let her off scotch-free for the time being but the truth of the matter was it was only temporary. And she had a feeling that fear was the root of her nightmares. She knew the rest was just her brain's way of coping with everything that had happened. Honestly, she wasn't even quite sure she could consider it coping. She wasn't handling it very well. But she could worry about that later.

Penny had to remind herself of that conviction she had earlier. She needed to do this. Or, at least, she was pretty sure she needed to. She wouldn't be able to sleep at night until she confronted him. Even just the thought of it was stupid, maybe even a little suicidal, and she couldn't believe the idea actually came from her brain but she was beyond the point of rationality. Her nerves were wired and frazzled from so little sleep and she was fairly certain that if she didn't do something about it soon she'd go off the deep end.

This was why she didn't want children. All they did was keep you up at night and Penny didn't know how to function on a bad night's sleep. She'd be a terrible parent.

After digging her nails into the steering wheel until she left crescent-shaped indents, Penny pursed her lips before turning the ignition off and stepping out of the car. She locked it and schooled her features, making her way down to the crosswalk where she waited for the okay to step through it along with a few other nicely dressed people that obviously had the same destination in mind as her. She waited in the line that curved around the building, feeling the base of the music from where she stood as she wringed her fingers together. There was a wad of cash tucked away in her jean pocket from the ATM she visited beforehand and she pulled it out, clutching it in her palm like a lifeline as the queue slowly moved forward.

She stuck out like a sore thumb and she knew it. She wasn't dressed nearly as well as everyone around her and excluding a select few that stuck their noses up in her direction, most of the people were too immersed in their own conversations to notice or care. Something about this felt oddly familiar and an image of herself a few weeks ago popped into her mind; back when he first invited her to speak about Task Force X. She cared even less about her appearance now than she did back then, with her hair wound in a loose bun and a few clips pinning the stray hairs that fell from it. Unfortunately now her cheeks had much less color to them and her eyelids were verging on purple from the lack of sleep.

At least the bruise around her neck had almost completely faded.

The line moved at a treacherously slow pace, an invisible knife twisting in her stomach each time she moved forward. She didn't want to psych herself out but if the line continued to move this slowly she probably would.

Thankfully she reached the door a little over five minutes later. There seemed to be a scuffle a few paces in front of her that kept the line at a standstill for a good two minutes before a man and a woman were escorted away from the property after being denied access. The bouncer was a large man as per usual clad in a black dress shirt and slacks standing before a red velvet rope. She paid him quickly and, ignoring the unimpressed look he flashed at her clothes, he let her through. She had a feeling if she were anyone else he probably wouldn't have allowed her inside but she recognized him from the last time she visited and she was almost positive he recognized her, too.

Even though recognition was one thing she didn't want out of this, she welcomed it in this instance.

Unsurprisingly, the club was packed and chaotic. Penny had a hard time scoping out the area because of the strobe lights that flashed in various colors over the dancefloor. She tried maneuvering around a crowd of dancing people, steadily making her way towards the bar where she could perch herself on a stool and gain a better vantage point. It took a minute too long but she finally reached it and managed to snag a stool that had been freed only moments prior to her arrival. She jumped up on it and peered over the sea of heads, glancing in the direction of the VIP lounge. Through the tangle of beads she was able to spot half of the infamous booth he usually occupied and pursed her lips at the fact that it was empty.

Her eyes roamed the area. The only time she'd seen him outside the VIP section was when he danced with her. She tried looking for a head of green hair in the mass of writhing bodies. She knew it wouldn't be hard to find which made her disappointed when she scoured the entire dancefloor twice and came up short. With an angry sigh she sat properly on the stool and stewed in her annoyance at the fact that it was impossible for her to find him but too easy for him to find her. It didn't help that she had no idea how to get to his house, not that she expected he was there. She had a hunch that outside of sleeping he was only ever there when Harley was.

Realizing that she still had a few bills on hand, she handed the bartender some money in exchange for a drink. It wasn't cheap getting in and it'd be a waste if she didn't at least treat herself. Unfortunately the music was loud and obnoxious so the only thing she could really enjoy was the sugary drink he passed her a few seconds later. She sipped on it, her eyes occasionally swiping the area closest to her in hopes of seeing someone she recognized. Eventually her gaze landed on the dancers swinging in their decorative cages, their long legs wrapped around the poles they danced against with men crowded on each side cheering and whooping and throwing bills. As degrading as it was, she knew the girls who danced made a decent amount of money doing it and she couldn't fault them for that.

There were two dancers at the moment, one blonde and the other a vibrant redhead, and they were dressed exotically in gold and silver dresses alike with heels much too high for Penny to walk in. Their calf muscles were defined which must've meant they were used to the labors of dancing. Their smiles were large, the blonde's lips painted a bright pink while the redhead's lips matched her hair, and every so often they'd step forward and dance personally for one of the men station below the cages. Penny realized after about a minute of watching that they usually singled out those who tossed up larger bills. Clever.

Penny couldn't deny she was a bit envious of these girls. Not just for their looks (though that was part of the reason—she couldn't deny they were beautiful) but for their confidence. Woman power and self-assurance oozed out of their every pore and they thrived off of the attention. It was clear they danced because they wanted to, not because they had to or someone forced them. And at the end of the song each girl collected their share of money, stuffing the wad of bills in their bras as they posed one last time for the men. When they walked off there was a round of applause and Penny joined in the clapping, watching them wiggle their hips and smirk over their shoulders as they slipped through the crowd.

Exhaling slowly, Penny turned back around on her stool and sipped her drink a few more times until she reached the bottom. She pushed her glass away and the bartender asked if she wanted a refill. She politely declined and pushed herself off the stool, giving up her seat to the next person who needed it. She didn't see much of a reason for her to stay and she began weaving her way through the crowd towards the door.

Maybe it was for the best. Maybe this was some higher power telling her that she needed to let it go and try to get past it on her own. She ignored the nagging pull in the back of her head and continued onward, bumping into a few chests and apologizing quietly as she tried sliding around them. It'd gotten more crowded since she got there which meant it was harder for her to find a path towards the exit. She ended up circling around the dancefloor, passing the VIP lounge as she did so. She spared the section one more cursory glance, that nagging feeling in the back of her head vibrating in silent hope. Once again the booth was vacant.

She made her way towards the exit with a newfound determination, irritated with herself for even showing up in the first place. She pushed her way through a group lingering near the cages, stumbling through two tall men who seemed to find humor in her desire to leave. She almost lost her footing before she collided into a hard body. She caught herself on their jacket sleeve and it took a second for the person to react, as if they were going to let her fall until they realized who she was.

"Miss Weiss?" they asked, surprise coating their naturally deep tone. Penny's head whipped up at the familiar voice, eyes widening at the sight of Frost who was gazing down at her with an unreadable expression, eyebrows raised.

"Penny," she corrected him offhandedly. "You're here," she stated dumbly.

"Yeah and so are you," Frost frowned. "Why are you here?"

"Where is he?" Penny asked immediately, ignoring his question. Or maybe she was answering it. She felt jittery and electrified and Frost spotted her change in demeanor instantly. His brows pulled down.

"He's not here," he said. Penny ran her fingers through her hair roughly, shifting her stance.

"I need to see him," she told him, voice steady and serious. "I've been…" she licked her lips. "I just need to see him."

Frost tossed a look over her head, glancing around to make sure they hadn't caused a scene before he gripped her elbow tightly and tugged her to the edge of the room near the wall. Penny followed ungracefully, tripping a bit over her feet. Her mind felt hazy from the drink and she realized with chagrin that it'd gone to her head so quickly because she had an empty stomach. Frost seemed to notice her lack of coordination and his frown deepened, forehead wrinkled in slight irritation.

"Why are you here really?" he asked, leaning forward a bit to where she could hear him over the music.

"I told you," Penny replied, lips turned down. "I need to see him."

"And I told you he isn't here," Frost replied with a hint of snark. Penny narrowed her eyes.

"I don't believe you," she said. His eyebrows rose further.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't believe you," she repeated, a bit stronger. "Wherever he is you usually aren't far behind and unless he sent you here to look for someone, which I don't think he did because you have less of a 'I need to find someone' look on your face and more of a 'I need to keep an eye out while my boss does this thing' face, so he must be here somewhere."

"If I say he's not here then he's not here," Frost snapped, face hard. "Do you really have so little concern for yourself? Do you know what he'd do if he found out you were trying to find him?"

"Oh, is this you looking out for me again?" Penny asked, nose curled as she glared up at him. The alcohol must've really done a number on her emotions because under normal circumstances she wouldn't have put up this much of a fight. "You can save the act, alright? I'm not here for whatever reason you think I'm here."

"Oh really?" Frost challenged, shoulders squared. He definitely had the advantage of height as he stood a full head taller than her and she couldn't pretend she wasn't a little bit intimidated. She had to crane her neck to meet his gaze properly. "And what, pray tell, would that reason be?"

Penny licked her lips again, feeling anxious for some reason and unwilling to say it out loud. Frost could read the confliction on her face and he gave her a smug look, making her blood boil.

"Where is he?" she repeated, enunciating each syllable. Frost dipped low until their noses were nearly touching and she had to cross her eyes to maintain eye contact.

"Go home, Penny," he told her. "Drink some water and go to bed."

"That's the whole problem, Frost!" Penny yelled, tugging at the roots of her hair. She felt her eyes stinging out of frustration and Frost pulled away, seemingly taken aback. "I _can't_ sleep. I've tried but every time I close my eyes I see his face."

"And you think seeing it in person will help with that?" Frost eyed her skeptically. Penny sighed tiredly.

"I know it sounds stupid, okay? Believe me, I know. I tried talking myself out of it a few times but I can't stop thinking about it and it kind of makes me feel like I'm losing my mind so I'd appreciate it if you'd just tell me where he is so I can make all this shit stop," she finished, breathing heavily through her nose. Frost was giving her a look she didn't understand but it didn't mask the mild annoyance still present on his face. "I won't even tell him you saw me."

Frost rolled his eyes and the look was gone. "Maybe I'll tell him you stopped by, yeah? Will that satisfy you?"

Penny shrieked and was only a vein bursting away from stomping her foot. A few people nearby gave her weird looks but for the most part the base was too loud for anyone to really notice the scene she was causing. Frost just looked exasperated like he was dealing with a child throwing a tantrum. If Penny were completely sober she probably would've felt embarrassed.

"I know he's here, Frost," she glared.

"I'm going to give you to the count of five and if you're not making your way towards that door I'm going to pick you up and throw you out myself."

Penny gave him an affronted look. "You can't make me leave."

Frost squinted at her. "Try me, princess."

She bristled. "Don't call me princess. Maybe I want to stay for the atmosphere," she grinned with a challenging lift of her eyebrow.

Frost raised a hand and for a second she thought he was going to strangle her but instead he thought better of it and clenched his fingers together, digging his nails into his palm. His looked the other way, lips pursed, before returning her defiant gaze with a heated scowl.

"Fine. Stay if you want. Enjoy your evening," he made to turn around but Penny quickly stopped him with a hand on his arm. He gave the contact a poisonous stare and she quickly pulled away before he lost his temper.

"Are you going to go to wherever he is in this building and tell him you saw me?" she asked sarcastically. Frost gritted his teeth.

"No," he snipped before pointing at a vacant couch. "I'm going to go sit over there."

With that, he marched with a purpose towards the couch and pointedly sat down, making himself comfortable. He returned her defiant glare and she clenched her jaw, her stomach sinking a bit as he finally broke their gaze to watch the people around him. Penny stood there for a good twenty seconds, unsure of what her next move should be. She wasn't quite as convinced as she made herself out to be that Mister J was close by but she couldn't shake the feeling that Frost was hiding something from her. Rarely did she ever see the man out in public without Mister J in the vicinity. It was possible they were hunting someone down but with the way Frost was glancing idly around, she could tell he wasn't searching for anyone in particular. And she wasn't so naïve to believe that he was just out for a grand old time by himself.

Penny sucked in a deep breath through her teeth before making her way back over to the bar. It was an effort but through her journey across the dancefloor she felt Frost's eyes on her, making her feel slightly smug. The bar was only about half occupied as a new set of girls slinked up to the cages to dance which gave Penny plenty of room to make herself comfortable. Instead of ordering another drink, she asked for a glass of water, heeding at least part of Frost's advice. Every so often hers and Frost's gaze would meet and her eyes would glisten at him across the room as she sipped daintily on her water, making him roll his eyes.

Penny watched the dancers again for a bit, entranced with how elegantly they moved. She could understand the men's fascination with them, though the mesmerized looks on their faces was a bit amusing even for her. The girls swayed their hips erotically, swinging around the poles in tune with the music with effortless grace. She enjoyed watching about half of their show before her eyes unconsciously traveled back over to where Frost was sitting.

It felt like her heart plunged into her stomach. He wasn't there.

Penny whipped her head from left to right, scanning the crowd closely as she lifted herself a bit off her stool. It was possible that he just left the club but Penny wasn't going to give up that easily, still feeling that nagging pull in the back of her head. She finished her second glass of water in two quick gulps before slipping off the stool and pushing her way through the crowd again. Once she dispersed, she immediately looked towards the lounge. As expected, the booth was still empty but she did see a flash of black through the beads. There was a broad figure making their way across the lounge towards the back and through a gap in the beads she saw them pass through a velvet purple curtain.

With narrowed eyes, Penny made sure no one was looking in her direction before she slipped through the beads. There were two occupied booths in the lounge, one with a couple too involved in themselves to notice her and a group of people at least ten years older than her in deep discussion. She weaved through the scattered tables and paused at the curtain, listening. When she didn't hear anything out of the ordinary she pulled the curtain aside and stepped through. She was met with a dark hallway and a line of doors on the left side, each with their own number (they were listed 1-8) and a design. The first was a club, the second a diamond, third a heart, fourth a spade, and so on. She noticed the figure she spotted earlier standing with their back to her at the end of the hall and with squinted eyes Penny made her way towards them, at least 85% sure it was Frost.

To her relief she realized it was him when she was only a couple of feet away and, hearing her footsteps, Frost turned and glared fiercely at her.

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?" he asked incredulously. "What the hell are you doing back here?"

"I followed you," she stated redundantly. Her head was starting to clear a bit from all the water she drank which fortunately meant that she was no longer stumbling. This also unfortunately meant she was feeling a lot less brave.

Frost slit his eyes at her.

"I see that," he nodded slowly. "Why _did_ you? You're not supposed to be back here."

Penny avoided his question and eyed the door he was standing beside. There was a fancy J painted onto the door next to a star and a jester hat.

"He's in there, isn't he?" she asked. Frost growled in the back of his throat.

"So help me if you don't leave I swear…"

"I _need_ to talk to him, Frost," Penny tried to stress, her eyes pleading.

"You have a gluten for punishment."

"Please, Frost," she said quietly. She rubbed her hands down her face before wringing her fingers together. She wished she had another drink. "I'm sorry, okay? I know I'm overstepping here and I know that I made you mad but you need to understand. Me getting involved?" she pointed to herself with a shake of her head. "It wasn't my fault. Okay? I didn't ask for this happen. I didn't ask to be dragged everywhere with the threat of losing my life. It wasn't on the agenda. I had a normal life and now nothing's the same and I don't know how to deal with it. I'm sick of not getting any straight answers out of him."

"Why do you need answers?" Frost asked impatiently. "Why does there have to be a reason for everything? Why can't you just take the time you got and stay away?"

"Because I can't!" Penny cried. "I don't like not knowing! It scares me to not know! I'm not like you guys, okay? Do you know how much all of this has fucked me up inside?" she glared. She began listing off on her fingers, "I have nightmares, I get no sleep, I can't eat, I'm constantly looking over my shoulder, I'm _afraid_. Maybe at first I thought I could pretend. I could act like everything was fine and that I was fine and if I just ignored everything then maybe it'd all go away. But that's not how any of this works," Penny shook her head. "That's not how I work. I can't just let things go. I _don't_ know how."

Frost shook his head again, though it was less hostile than before which meant he must've taken her words to heart.

"I still don't see how coming here's gonna help you any. He's just gonna fuck you up more."

"Then I've got nothing to lose," Penny shrugged, unable to argue anymore. She felt drained, her limbs aching as she stood there. "It's okay if you don't get it. I kind of don't get it either. I don't really know myself anymore and that's… that's not a good feeling."

Frost stared down at her silently.

"Have you ever thought about seeing a therapist?" he asked with heavy sarcasm. Penny laughed emotionlessly at the joke.

"I saw my work's counselor and that was enough."

"Yeah?" Frost asked with vague interest. "And what'd they say?"

"She said I needed to confront my problems, not avoid them. So here I am," she opened her arms wide.

Frost snorted. "Of _course_ she did."

Penny shuffled a bit and eyed the door with skepticism. She felt antsy. "What's he doing in there?"

Frost rolled his eyes. "I don't know where you got the idea that that's any of your business but let me clarify just in case it wasn't clear before," he leaned towards her, " _that's none of your business_."

Penny bristled again but she had the good sense to hold her tongue in spite of how much she didn't want to.

"Can I see him now?"

Frost huffed through his nose. "Can you maybe hold your horses for like ten minutes or are you incapable of waiting that long?"

"Not incapable," Penny denied easily though her jaw was clenched. She crossed her arms over her chest and noticed the expectant look on Frost's face like he couldn't believe she was still standing in front of him. "Do you want me leave?" she asked incredulously.

Frost gave her a 'duh' look that on any other day would've made her laugh, "Yeah? I'll come get you when he's ready."

Penny squinted at him suspiciously. "I don't think so. You're just going to let him leave without telling me."

Frost tossed his arms in the air, any shred of patience he had left completely dissipating.

"Fine. If you insist, stay. Just keep your damn mouth shut, huh? I'm getting a headache."

Keep her mouth shut. She could do that.

She leaned against the wall opposite the doors, arms still crossed as she took in her surroundings. Each door was painted a different color—some in various shades of red, others teal, and of course J's was purple. The crown molding along the top of the walls was gold, the same shining color as the numbers painted on the doors. Penny wasn't obtuse. She knew that the rooms were usually reserved for private showings. If Mister J was in one of the numbered rooms she'd wonder if he had a woman with him but since he had his own room, she couldn't help but think that he stayed there from time to time when he wasn't at his house. It made sense considering the door itself appeared much more regal and well-kept than all the other doors. Still, what was he doing that was so important?

 _I guess it's none of my business,_ Penny thought with an air of snark. It wasn't that she felt she had the right to know, it was just so strange coming from a point where she was so immersed into the Joker's life and now she was an outsider like everyone else. She supposed she should've felt grateful not being involved—which she did—but it was still strange nonetheless. It was hard to get used to.

Penny shifted a few times as she watched the door for any signs of movement. The fact that they were in an enclosed area away from the main hall of the club meant that Penny had a better sense of hearing and she couldn't even hear muffled voices from inside his room. There were a few questionable sounds coming from Room 3 to which she occasionally wrinkled her nose at but there was nothing in Mister J's room. Penny almost wanted to believe Frost led her back here on purpose to divert her attention from the rest of the club, maybe so Mister J could mingle with his customers in peace, but she wasn't so close-minded to believe he'd go through the trouble of evading her like that. Mister J never struck her as the type to avoid confrontation, especially with someone as weak as her.

Another five minutes went by and Penny was starting to get restless. Frost had all but remained still as a statue while she moved around in her little spot across from Room 6, his eyes only occasionally flickering to her fidgety form in slight annoyance. The anticipation was eating Penny alive inside and she held out for another minute and a half before she couldn't take it anymore.

"Are you sure he's even really in there?" Penny's voice broke the silence. Frost's posture slackened a bit in irritation.

"What did I say about shutting up?"

"You said to wait ten minutes and it's been twelve and a half," she countered defensively.

"Jesus Christ," Frost rolled his head back.

"I only need five minutes," Penny pleaded, trying to appeal to his decent side again.

"You're going to get a lot more than that," Frost warned. Penny's brows furrowed.

"What does that mean?"

"You know what it means," Frost told her as if she were stupid. "He's gonna be pissed."

"I'll make it short," Penny promised, her stomach churning.

The anger on Frost's face was palpable but he moved aside nonetheless, seemingly fed up with trying to fight her on it. Penny eyed him suspiciously, wondering what the catch was as she stepped forward carefully. She unfolded her arms and reached for the intricate gold handle, fingers curling around it as Frost eyed her with obvious distain from his position next to her.

"Don't act like I never done anything for you," he cautioned thickly. Penny shot him an uneasy smile that lacked any feeling behind it.

"I won't," and with that she pushed the door open. Frost stepped back in front of the door as she closed it behind her, almost completely enveloped in darkness.

It wasn't just a room, she noted, as she stepped further inside. She was currently in some sort of sitting room with nice plum-colored furniture and tapestries hung on the wall. There was a faint aroma of whiskey on the air along with stale cologne and cigar smoke, not completely unpleasant scents but together they made her stomach lurch. Cracking her fingers absently, she moved through the open doorway that led into another room, this one equipped with a flat screen TV and a brown leather couch. There was a bottle of half-empty golden liquid on the end table and two used glasses discarded next to it. She frowned at this and turned her head, noticing another room with the door closed to the right.

She moved towards it carefully, warning signs flashing like yellow beacons inside her head. She paused a couple feet away and didn't continue forward until the knife he held in her dream flashed across her mind. Her feet carried her to the door and she rested her ear against it. She could hear something but the door blocked most of the sound—it sounded like heavy shuffling. If he was fighting with someone she surely didn't want to get caught in the crossfire. Her hand hovered over the doorknob, hesitating. She bit the inside of her cheek until she nearly drew blood. Some natural instinct kicked in, one that she was certain she didn't have before, and the door was behind thrust open before she even realized she turned the knob.

What she saw, she did not expect.

It was obviously a bedroom judging by the large round bed that took up the majority of the space. Mister J was on top of it, void of any clothing, and there was a woman in his lap with her back to Penny. Penny felt her throat close up at the sight of his pale hand buried in her golden brown hair, his face tucked over her shoulder, his striking blue eyes landing on her stunned form. His pupils were blown wide, mouth flushed and smeared with his green hair hanging over the bridge of his nose. His silver teeth were clenched as his other hand dug roughly into the woman's hip, knuckles white from the strain, nails squeezing her flesh as she gasped and moved above him. There was a delicate sheen of sweat on their skin that made them glisten and the contrast between their skin tones was disarming.

For a good ten seconds or so Penny didn't know how to move.

Mister J snarled, a deep, rough sound in the back of his throat and she couldn't tell if it was in reaction to her or the woman that continued to pleasure him in his lap.

When Penny finally regained proper motor function, she felt her feet carrying her quickly back through the living area and into the front room, her heart hammering loudly in her ears. She felt faint and slightly ill, not to mention painfully embarrassed that she'd caught him in such a compromising position and terrified as hell that he'd make her pay for it.

Unable to follow her sporadic train of thought, Penny did the only thing she could think of and headed for the door, but when she tried turning the handle she was met with resistance. She quickly fumbled with the lock, eyebrows pinched together as she realized it wasn't a door that could be locked from the outside.

Frost must've been holding the handle on the other side.

When she tried desperately jiggling it again, she heard his muffled voice on the other side, " _I warned you._ "

Penny shrieked, slamming her fist angrily on the door before spinning back around. She was breathing heavily as she glanced into the living area, staring blankly at the half-empty whiskey bottle with her gut twisting and clenching. She licked her lips and tried swallowing, nearly choking on her saliva as her throat continued to swell from anxiety. She could feel the ragged pulse of her heart in her temples and her cheeks felt hot as she scanned the room. There was no other way out.

Sweat brimmed her forehead and she carefully turned back around and tried the handle again. The second the handle turned halfway Frost grabbed it from the other side, stopping the movement.

"Damn it, Frost!" she yelled, voice cracking as she slapped her palm on the door.

He didn't reply and she leaned her head against the panel of the door until there was a pained shriek from the other room. There was nothing lustful about it and Penny jolted at how high-pitched it was, tossing a nervous glance over her shoulder. There was another shriek followed by a dull thump and a gurgle that was cut off wetly halfway through and then there was nothing but eerie silence.

Penny panted heavily against the door, the nausea in her stomach nearly making her double over and vomit. She waited with an anxiety that pierced her heart, palm sweaty as it continued to grip the door handle. She was trembling so hard that she eventually couldn't keep a steady grip on the handle and her arm fell stiffly to her side.

Nothing but her stuttered, quick gasps filled the air and her throat was dry by the time she heard soft footsteps padding into the room adjacent from the one she was currently in. Her heart rate spiked and she felt close to passing out, pressing herself further against the door as if by doing so she could somehow phase through to the other side and escape. This was a mistake. This was a big fucking mistake. She was so fucking stupid. How could she be such an idiot?

A pale, hunched figure appeared in the doorway. His white torso was bare, hair still matted and unkempt with a pair of dress pants pulled low on his hips, unbuckled and unzipped. It was obvious he didn't have anything on underneath and Penny forced her gaze up, her ears feeling hot. He had a sated look on his face though his eyes were narrowed dangerously in her direction and she braced herself against the door as he slowly made his way towards her.

"Pennywise," he greeted, voice lower and gravellier than usual.

The sound made her ears ring and she fumbled with the handle behind her again. This time, as if Frost knew what was happening, it gave way and she made to pull the door open but Mister J marched the final three steps towards her and powerfully smacked his hand against the door not two inches from her head. The door slammed shut and Penny winced at the sound, the door vibrating from the force against her back as she eyed the offending arm warily out of her peripherals.

Her breath caught in her throat at their close proximity, her eyes watching another strand of damp green hair fall down into his face. She could smell the sweat on his skin, could feel the intensity of his heat radiate against her and it made her lower spine tremble. His breathing was rough as he glared at her, his blue eyes piercing hers like sharp diamonds gleaming in the low light.

"What's the rush, Pennywise?" he grated, his nose brushing against her cheekbone. She shivered at the contact, could feel her chest quivering against his sticky one, and she wanted nothing more than to get as far away from him as possible. "Hm?"

He seemed to realize how much she dislike the smell on his skin and he pushed himself further against her, the unbuttoned hem of his pants dragging against her stomach. It was too much and she almost couldn't breathe, hyperaware of every place they touched.

"What's a matter? Cat got your tongue?" he inclined his head, teeth flashing in a snarl. He gripped her chin roughly, forcing her to look him in the eye and she winced as his nails dug into her flesh. It reminded her of the way he clawed at the woman in bed. It reminded her that he used that hand to take the woman's life. "You seemed so _chatty_ when you got here."

"I—" she didn't know what words were.

She felt his lips graze her jaw, something akin to a purr vibrating in the back of his throat. It made the hairs along her arms stand on edge and his warm breath fanned her neck, teasing the sensitive skin.

"You wanted me, didn't you?" he asked lowly. "Been looking for me?" his lips trailed up to her ear. "Well I'm right here. Tell me what you want."

"Did you kill her?" Penny breathed. It wasn't the first thing she wanted to say but it was the only coherent sentence she could get out.

Mister J pulled back, eyes half-lidded as he stared at her. She shifted under the intensity and found the look alone was answer enough. She nodded to herself.

"Okay," she whispered. She couldn't say she was surprised. "Okay, okay…" her mind was swarming and she only had room for so many emotions at once. "Why?" she found herself asking next.

Her voice was still breathy, probably as a result of how close he still was to her. She found she couldn't think straight when she felt his body heat, the undeniable scent of him along with the woman's sickly sweet perfume consuming her senses.

"She had something I wanted," he answered, voice light enough considering the poisonous look still lingering in his eyes. He pulled something free from one of his pockets and she noticed it was a set of silver keys. He tossed them onto the nearest purple chair and she stared after them for a second, in the back of her mind asking why he needed them and what they were for.

"And…" she swallowed. "And why did you…?" she left the question open, her stomach fluttering.

She saw a flash of pink as his tongue darted over his teeth before he clicked it against the bottom of his mouth.

"I got bored," he pouted. He leaned forward again until their foreheads were touching, tilting his head every which way as he maintained an eye contact with her she strained to meet. "You know what that's like, right doll?"

Penny didn't know how to respond. It's not like she was unfamiliar with sex but it was never something she associated with the Joker and it made everything shift now that she had to. Sometimes she was forgot he was a regular human being like everyone else, that he had a body with needs. She felt hot and she squirmed against the door, noticing with too much clarity the way his unbuckled pants rubbed against her abdomen.

When Mister J realized he wasn't going to get a response out of her, he put some space between them at last and Penny finally felt like she could breathe. The irritation was still clear in the stiff way he held his shoulders but he moved away from her nonetheless, still basking in the afterglow of his time with the woman—whether it was from the intimacy or the act of killing her, she really didn't know which made her squirm some more—to care much about her presence. He rolled his shoulders and craned his head until his neck cracked before he stepped into the living area where he poured himself another glass of whiskey. He downed it in two deep gulps before pouring another. Penny watched his throat work as he swallowed the burning liquid and she relaxed a bit against the door, worrying her bottom lip as she played with her fingers.

"Why me?"

The Joker didn't immediately acknowledge her question and she straightened her posture, no longer cowering against the door despite the tenseness in her jaw.

"Why me?" she repeated, a bold move. He tossed back the rest of the liquid, holding it in his mouth before rotating the glass in his hand contemplatively. "Of all the people you could've picked, why did it have to be me?"

Mister J bowed his head, staring down into the empty glass before casting her a sidelong look.

"You were convenient," he said, surprising her with a direct answer. "Easy."

Penny sucked on the inside of her cheek, her skin feeling like pins and needles all over.

"Why didn't you let him kill me?" she then asked. "Why did you save me?"

"Did you want to die?" Mister J evaded her question, giving her a pointed look. "Are you upset about it? Do you wish I hadn't?"

Penny floundered for a moment. "I had a normal life. A simple life."

"Normal," Mister J rolled his eyes, grinding his teeth. "Why is everyone so fucking held up on _normal?_ "

"Why are people so against it?" she countered, brows taut. "There's nothing wrong with being normal."

"You wanna know what I think?" Mister J deflected, looking at her in such a way that suggested she wasn't going to like whatever he said next. He shifted his weight from one bare foot to the other, the muscles in his abdomen tensing. "I think you hated being normal. I think you were so fucked by society's standards of 'normalcy' that when I showed you a bit of the bad side, you started to like it," Penny immediately shook her head to deny that—why the fuck would he think that?—but he didn't let her object. "Why else would you come here? Knowing how dangerous it is, knowing that you can't beat me, knowing that I could do anything I wanted to you and you couldn't do shit to stop me. Why would you do that instead of staying in your _normal_ life?"

Penny's mouth opened and closed.

"It's like I said, Pennywise," he cracked a wan grin, blood rep lips curling around silver teeth. "Once you get a taste, you keep wanting more. Just because you're a fuckin' genius with a fancy degree doesn't mean you're immune to it."

"Immune to what?" she choked, afraid of the answer.

His teeth glinted. "The thrill."

"Is that why you picked me?" Penny asked stiffly. "Because you were under the assumption that I'd become some adrenaline junkie? Because that's not me," she denied thickly. "That's not me at all."

"No," he drawled slowly, slinking towards her again while waving the empty glass around. "I recall saying it was because you were easy and convenient," a mirthless grin spread across his lips. "What, were you expecting me to say that I wanted to break you?" he stepped into her space again and she was backed into the door. "That I wanted to bend you and shape you and ruin you?" he caged her in with an arm on either side of her head, the scent of whiskey heavy on his breath as he bowed down to her, their hips kissing. "Destroy you? Hm?" his voice was smooth but dangerous like poisoned honey. "Is that the answer you were looking, _Penny Weiss_?"

Penny's lips opened in a silent gasp, his mouth hovering only inches from hers until they shared breath. His gaze was so intense, so shuddering, but she couldn't bring herself to look away. The air felt thick around them like it could be sliced with a knife and Penny felt like she was drowning. Her head was swimming, eyes sore from exhaustion, mind drained from the strain. She felt like she was collapsing into herself and having him wrapped around her like he was only magnified the feeling tenfold. Her brain swarmed like a whirlwind of air choking the life out of her and she needed to get away, get away fast before it swallowed her whole.

"I think," she whispered, voice frail and small, "I think that coming here was a mistake."

"Why's that?" Mister J asked, hand sliding up the door until there was hardly any space left between them.

"I'm still afraid," she told him.

"That's good," he said agreeably. "You should be. See, I've got a lot planned for you and me, Pennywise. The games aren't over yet," he remarked with a crooked smile. "But first thing's first…

… I'm getting my Queen back."

* * *

 **Holy crap. So this is officially the longest chapter I've ever written at over 14k words and honestly I did not plan for it happen that way. I was originally going to leave the Joker off this chapter and introduce this last bit in the next chapter but I'm hopeless when it comes to writing him and need him to be in every chapter for my own sanity. So there's that. There wasn't very much of him but hopefully what little bit there was, you enjoyed. And just to throw it out there, PennyxFrost moments are really starting to become some of my favorites. They're so much fun to write together. Love me some Frosty.**

 **So this chapter was really sporadic and even though it was intentional I still feel like the execution was kind of sloppy. The layout was a lot better in my head so hopefully you guys aren't disappointed. I wanted this chapter to mainly focus on the aftereffects of the mission and how Penny was dealing with it. She's got a bit of PTSD going on and Mister J's starting to get inside her head and infect the way she thinks. I feel bad for her but at the same time it makes me so eager to just dive into the dark stuff. Which there's plenty more to come, I feel like we're just getting started. Heh. Also, if any of you are going HUH? over her talking about him saving her, yeah. Let's just say we're taking another blast into the past next chapter and all of that will be clarified. I know, right? _Finally._**

 **Thank you guys so much for your continued support! I still smile at all of your reviews no matter how in-dept or simple they are. I'm exhausted now so I'm going to take a long hot shower before crawling into bed. TGIF dude. Thanks again for all your favorites, follows and reviews! I'm sure there are some grammatical errors in this one but I'm way too tired to proofread so I apologize for that. Maybe I'll have time to make corrections tomorrow.**

 **Until next time my lovelies! Stay evil xo**


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